An elderly woman suffered a horrific death when she was attacked by a swarm of giant Asian hornets for 50 minutes as she was pushed along in her wheelchair.
Chieko Kikuchi, 87, was set upon by the insects and stung 150 times after leaving a nursing facility in the western Japanese city of Ozu.
Medics and her carer were forced to watch helplessly as they were unable to fight off the thick cloud of deadly bugs.
Ambulance staff were apparently misinformed and failed to turn up with necessary protective clothing, meaning the desperate onlookers had to wait for firefighters to arrive.
Ms Kikuchi was eventually taken to hospital but died the following day from multiple organ failure, the Japan Times reported.
The attack, which happened in September but only just come to light, is said to have started after a nest near the woman’s home was disturbed.
The venom of an Asian hornet’s sting is far stronger than that of a normal wasp or bee.
In areas where the insects are common, experts advise people to seek emergency treatment if they receive more than 30 stings.
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