Farmer Killed By Attack Of Asian Hornets

An elderly man has died after being attacked by Asian hornets (Vespa Velutina) while working on the field near a beach in north west Spain.

The man died while working in the fields in the municipality of A Laracha, in the province of A Coruna, in the autonomous community of Galicia.

It is located near the Playa de caion which is popular for all year-round surfing and is often crowded during the summer months.

The victim Antonio Rodriguez Loureiro, 69, left his home with a tractor and a brush cutter to work on a nearby mountain in the middle of the afternoon on Monday 21st of September.

When he did not return, his family raised the alarm.

A search operation was quickly activated in which relatives and locals, agents of the Local Police and the Civil Guard and volunteers from the Civil Protection of A Laracha participated.

About half past nine at night the lifeless body of Loureiro was found. He was lying on the ground of a hill that he had planned to clean.

Despite the efforts of the health workers, his death was certified on the spot.

A forensic doctor ordered the removal of the body after midnight for its transfer to the University Hospital Complex of A Coruna for an autopsy.

Officials said that the death occurred as a consequence of the Asian hornet attack and that the body of Lourelio had signs of having been repeatedly stung.

The death caused great shock in A Laracha as he was a well-known and appreciated person, according to local newspaper LaVozDeGalicia.

Allergic reactions due to the action of Asian hornets have increased significantly in recent years.

They have done so in parallel with their spread, which has become a threat to native populations of bees and also to humans.

This hornet is larger than the common wasp and, therefore, the amount of venom it has is also greater, as reported in Spanish newspaper NiusDiario.

On the north-eastern area of Spain alone, there were at least three deaths this summer as a result of this insect.

The investigation in Loureiro’s case continues.