At least 15 tourists, including four foreigners, were injured after being stung by bees at the world famous Sun Temple at Konark today, police said. The injured, including children and women, were rushed to a government hospital in the city.
While nine tourists were discharged from the hospital after preliminary treatment, four foreigners and two persons from Chattisgarh had to be admitted, an attending doctor said. In view of the incident, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has stopped the entry of tourists into the temple premises till the beehives are removed.
The ASI has now closed its ticket counters at the main gate for tourists as the bee attack took place for the second consecutive day today. Yesterday, a swarm of honey bees were sighted at the temple, resulting in chaos among the tourists. The bees came in hundreds from a beehive within the temple premises which had reportedly been destroyed by monkeys.
A large number of tourists who had come to Konark were disappointed at not being able to see the 13th Century shrine famous for its sculptures. The Sun Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Feature image source: Samarpita Das
