Man dead, two hospitalized after bee attack in Arizona

Authorities say a man has died and two other people were hospitalized after bees attacked at least six people Thursday in the Tucson suburb of Marana. Police in Marana say the swarming bees came from a 100-pound open beehive that was in a tree inside a home's backyard.

They say three people passing through the area were stung hundreds of times and taken to a hospital for treatment. Three Northwest Fire District firefighters dispatched to the scene also were stung. Authorities say one of the firefighters was stung about 60 times and was treated and released from hospital.

The name of the man who died wasn't immediately released by Marana police.

Bee handlers killed most of the bees and removed the hive, police said in a Facebook post late Thursday.

"Although the area is much safer, there are still some lingering bees," police said. "Please continue to use caution while in the area."

From 2000–2017, a total of 1,109 died from hornet, wasp and bee stings, for an annual average of 62 deaths, the CDC reported in 2019.