ISLAMABAD: A gardener at the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) died and five others were taken to the hospital after being stung by honey bees on Thursday.

A university official said the gardeners had decided to get honey from a beehive on a tree outside the boundary wall when they were working in the botanical garden at the campus.

“All the gardeners tried to run and save themselves when the bees in the hive attacked but one of them fell down and was stung by a large number of bees. He was taken to the hospital but did not survive,” he said.

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Akram told Dawn the gardener had died due to an acute allergy.

“There are 300 types of honey bees and some can cause severe allergies. I think the gardener who died had a tendency for the allergy but all the gardeners were also not wearing protective clothing to protect them from injury or infection,” he said.

Dr Akram said there was also not first aid centre at AIOU and that bringing the gardeners to Pims had taken time.

“If he was given an adrenalin injection and some asteroid, the victim would definitely have survived,” he said, adding that he had offered to establish a first aid centre at the university when the AIOU VC had visited the hospital.

Talking to Dawn, AIOU VC Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui said the gardeners were working in the botanical garden when they were attacked by bees.

He said the university administration had arranged for sending the body home and provided his widow financial aid.

“We have also decided that one of the victim’s family members will be given a job at the university,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2017