A total of 161 learners from Matlapeng primary school, situated in Soshanguve outside Pretoria, were on Tuesday morning admitted to hospital following a bee attack.

Reports from the scene indicate that a small group of learners at the Soshanguve Block WW school agitated a beehive in the courtyard, according to Netcare 911 communication officer Shawn Herbst.

“It is believed that the swarm of bees had rapidly turned into a cloud, stinging children in the courtyard and those walking to class,” he said.

He explained that when his medics arrived, the Gauteng emergency services was already triaging the patients on the scene.

“Medics assessed the children and found that 161 children had sustained minor to moderate injuries from exposure to bee stings,” he said.

He added that all the patients were treated on scene and transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment once they were stabilised.