An unusually aggressive swarm of domesticated bees stung 24 people in central Aurillac on Sunday morning, 6 July. The attack, which lasted roughly half an hour along Avenue de la République, sent three victims—including an 80-year-old woman who suffered cardiac arrest—to hospital in critical condition. By Monday, Mayor Pierre Mathonier said all three were stable, while the other victims had been treated for multiple stings; three firefighters were among those injured. Local fire and police units set up a security perimeter and a mobile command post until the insects dispersed. Investigators say the bees escaped from three hives kept for more than a decade on the roof of the Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux. Mathonier told broadcasters the colony may have turned defensive after Asian hornets—an invasive predator—approached the hives, though the precise trigger remains under investigation. Prosecutor Sandrine Delorme has opened an inquiry into the incident and ordered the relocation of the hives outside the department. Roughly 70,000 bees deemed dangerous are to be euthanised as a precaution. Aurillac’s municipality is also reviewing whether to ban urban beekeeping after the rare but serious event raised questions about hive safety in densely populated areas.