Two hikers dead after hornet attack in Taiwan mountains

Tragedy struck in Taiwan's mountainous terrain when two experienced hikers succumbed to a vicious attack by Asian giant hornets while exploring an undeveloped area. A third member of the group survived the ordeal and is receiving critical care.

The incident occurred on December 12th when three seasoned hikers, with decades of experience, ventured into the remote mountains of Manzhou Township in Pingtung County to scout a new ecological trail. They were ambushed by a ferocious swarm of hornets, leading to severe stings.

Rescue operations were significantly challenged by the extreme remoteness of the location and the absence of mobile phone signals. The Pingtung County Fire Bureau's search and rescue team worked tirelessly, eventually locating the sole survivor, Ms. Chang, in the early hours of December 15th. She was found with over 30 hornet sting sites and was rushed to Hengchun Tourism Hospital before being transferred to Taichung Veterans General Hospital due to her deteriorating condition.

Following the rescue of Ms. Chang, a coordinated air and ground search was launched for the other two hikers. The team located the group leader, Mr. Chang, around 7:30 AM and reached him by 10:15 AM. Shortly after, Mr. Yen, the deputy leader, was found deceased at the bottom of a cliff approximately 80 meters from Mr. Chang's location. Due to heavy rain and deteriorating weather conditions in the mountains on December 15th, helicopter retrieval of the bodies was not possible. Rescue personnel have temporarily withdrawn to a safe location, with plans to conduct the aerial retrieval on the morning of December 16th.