The panic-stricken students were rushed to GMCH-32 in two ambulances where they were administered first aid. Around eight students sustained serious injuries and were kept under observation throughout the day in the pediatric ward of the hospital. They were discharged in the evening.

The victims, 19 boys and 22 girls, are students of Class I to Class V. While some blamed the authorities for the delay in wiping out beehives, a group of students claimed the bees attacked after a student pelted a stone at one of the beehives on a tree on the school campus.

“It was recess time. I had just walked out with my tiffin box when suddenly a large group of bees attacked. I couldn’t see anything and moaned in pain. Everybody around me was crying,” said Meenakshi, a student of Class II. The other seriously injured students include Dakshina, Mohit, Muskaan and Anmol.

“The doctors have given first aid to the children and they are doing fine. Though there are no serious injuries, we kept some of them under observation for sometime to avoid taking any chances,” said Dr V K Kaushal, Medical Superintendent, GMCH-32.

The parents of the injured students were only informed at 2 pm when the school concluded for the day. “We did not want to induce panic among parents so we did not inform them. Many would have had to come from their workplaces. The children are our responsibility and they will be taken proper care of,” said principal Surinder Singh.