SINJE TOWN, Feb. 7 (LINA) – It was a scene of drama and sadness on Wednesday, February 3, when a swarm of violent honeybees disrupted a funeral service in Sanjanamah Town, Garwula District in Grand Cape Mount County.
The attack by the bees was so severe that it led to residents of the town and others who came to sympathize with the families of the deceased to flee, thereby bringing to a premature end the funeral activities.
The drama started when several mourners went to the graveyard to bury a famous Islamic leader who used to operate a drug store in the county.
The late Alhaji Varney Kofi Kiazolu, who originally came from Sanjanamah Town, died in Monrovia on Tuesday, February 2, following a brief illness, and his body was brought to the county for interment.
Prior to his illness and death, the late Alhaji Kiazolu was a resident of Sinje Town, where he operated the Varney Kofi Drug Store and also served as Chairman of the Mosque there until his death.
Several faithful Muslims from across the county and Montserrado County went to attend the burial of the Islamic leader, and also to sympathize with his family.
After the ‘Janaaza’ prayer, the prayer normally performed over the dead by Muslims, mourners set off for the graveyard which is few meters away from the town.
Following the burial, the first group of mourners that left the gravesite was attacked while on their way back to town by the bees.
The attack was so severe that some of the people on their way back to town from the gravesite jumped into a swamp from where they made their way to the next town.
The bees that were creating havoc among the mourners also took over the entire town, leaving the mourners in total disarray.
Some mourners even abandoned their vehicles due to the severity of the attack by the violent bees,
Others who were severely attacked by the bees were rushed to the Sinje Health Center for emergency treatment, while some were seen with blisters on their skins.
However, what was seen as a wonder was that those who went for the burial revealed that there was not a single honeybee at the gravesite; indicating that the honeybees were only along the road leading to the graveyard and the town.
While the actual cause of the attack is unknown, some attributed the attack to the use of a pungent perfume on the dead body.
According to them, there was an overwhelming scent of the cologne on the dead body and some mourners who entered the graveyard, something which, they said, caused the bees to leave their hive.
Honeybee attack is becoming something of concern in Grand Cape Mount County in recent times.
During the latter part of 2020 one person was killed while several others sustained injuries when a large group of honeybees took over Jenneh Wonde Town in Tewor District. It took residents hours to put the situation under control.
Prior to the Jenneh Wonde tragedy, one person lost his life in Vonzuahn Town, Garwula District when the honeybees unleashed another violent attack on residents.
