Second Spaniard dies from Asian hornet stings

AN elderly man has died in the Spanish province of Pontevedra after being stung by an Asian Hornet – the second such death in a week.

The 78-year-old suffered an allergic reaction to 20 stings while working on a farm. The nest of the insects, which tend to be very aggressive, was tucked away unseen next to a barn in the region of Galicia.

The Asian Hornet (vespa velutina) is originally from China and has been increasing its range by 50 kilometres a year since arriving in Southern Europe.

In February the town hall of O Porrino, where the latest attack happened, distributed 500 traps to locals in an effort to combat the pest.

Last week a 44-year-old man in another Galician town, Lugo, died instantly from just two stings. He too suffered a bad reaction. An estimated 3% of Spaniards are allergic to the Asian Hornet’s venom.