Elderly woman attacked by giant hornets while trapped on narrow ledge 7 floors up

An elderly woman in Yilan City accidentally locked herself out while hanging clothes outside a 7th-floor window, then got stuck on a narrow ledge and was attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets, today, September 5.

The 80-year-old woman named Wang was trying to climb back into her apartment through a window when she accidentally touched an Asian giant hornet nest and was stung all over her body.

Neighbors were alerted by Wang’s cries for help, and called 119 at around 12:20 pm. Firefighters broke into the apartment and rappelled down to the ledge, finally raising Ms Wang up using ropes in a rescue operation that took around one hour.

Ms Wang was sent to the hospital where she received treatment for the hornet stings, and was kept under observation.

Contractors hired by the County Agricultural Bureau were sent to remove the hornet nest.

The Asian giant hornet, known in Taiwan as the “tiger head hornet,” and in the USA as “murder hornet” is the world’s largest hornet. Taiwan is currently entering the peak season for hornet attacks.

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