Navi Mumbai: Bee Attack Claims Life of Man, Seven Injured at Karnala Bird Sanctuary
Navi Mumbai, 17th February 2025: A 44-year-old man lost his life, and seven others were injured after being attacked by a swarm of bees on Saturday morning at the Karnala Bird Sanctuary. The victim, Sandeep Purohit from Koparkhairane, was at the sanctuary with his wife, son, and family friends for a trek to Karnala Fort when the incident occurred.
Around 11 am, forest officials received an emergency call and promptly arrived at the site, along with a rescue team. Upon reaching the top, they found the tourists attempting to avoid the bee stings. Purohit, however, was unconscious after tripping and sustaining a head injury.
The injured tourists were taken to the Sub-District Hospital in Panvel, where Purohit was declared dead. Senior police inspector Gajanan Ghadge of Panvel Taluka police station stated, “Bees typically attack only if provoked. We are investigating what went wrong. An accidental death report has been filed.”
Dr Ashok Gite, Superintendent at the Panvel sub-district hospital, explained, “Purohit was brought in dead, but the exact cause of death will only be known after a histopathology examination. In cases of multiple bee stings, an allergic reaction can sometimes lead to cardiac arrest. Purohit had minor abrasions on his forehead. We are awaiting the histopathology report, and samples have been sent to Sion Hospital for further analysis.”
The seven other individuals who were stung include students from VJTI Engineering College, who were on a separate trek with another student group. They have been identified as Rudrapratap Sahu (20) from Seawoods, Chirag Patil (19) from Matunga, Anish Salvi (19) from Borivali, Rishikesh Navghare (20) from Govandi, Ilmurugan Sankaran (55) from Khanda Colony, Vansh Wagh (19), and Vansh Pajay (19) from Sion.
