Father, son killed by swarm of ‘murder hornets’

An American father and son have died after being attacked and stung by so-called murder hornets.

Daniel Owens and his 15-year-old son Cooper were zip-lining through the tropical forests of northern Laos last month when giant Asian venomous hornets swarmed them.

World news correspondent Adam Gilchrist reports that they were taken to a small clinic before being moved to a nearby provincial hospital. 

“They were stung 100 times each; they did not stand a chance,” he says. 

Asian giant hornets, also known as murder hornets, sting with venom that contains neurotoxins and tissue-destroying enzymes that can be fatal, especially if you receive multiple stings.

Hornets are also known to protect their nests aggressively.

To listen to Gilchrist discuss this story with 702’s Bongani Bingwa, click below: