Hornet attack near Singapore’s Redhill Market leads to four being taken to hospital

Another eyewitness, Mei Zhen, told Shin Min that she found a woman in her 70s anxiously fiddling with her hair at the sink in a nearby toilet.

The woman’s ears were red, swollen and bleeding, Zhen said, adding that the victim complained of headaches and dizziness.

Zhen said: “There must have been more than 10 hornets circling her head. Some even crawled out of her hair, while others flew to the ground and the toilet door.”

According to the National University Hospital’s website, hornets can inflict multiple stings, injecting a larger amount of venom per sting compared with bees or smaller wasps.

The venom of these Hymenoptera insects contains histamine, a chemical that triggers an allergic response, and melittin, which causes pain. Proteins such as phospholipase and hyaluronidase, which can be toxic to human cells, are also part of the venom.

In severe cases, symptoms may include low blood pressure, insufficient blood flow to vital organs, or airway swelling, which causes suffocation.

Tanjong Pagar Town Council advises residents to remain calm and move away from the area immediately if they encounter a hornets’ nest or aggressive hornets.

They should seek shelter inside a nearby building and avoid attempting to disturb or remove the nest, added the town council.

Anyone who has been stung should leave the area immediately and call 995 for an ambulance if they experience severe reactions or require urgent medical assistance.

The Straits Times has contacted the National Parks Board for more information.

In 2024, a hornet attack in Sungei Buloh led to five people being taken to hospital.

In a separate incident that year, a man died after he was attacked by hornets while cycling along Sembawang Park Connector. – The Straits Times/ANN