Four people were sent to hospital last Friday (10 July) after being stung by hornets near Redhill Market.
The nest was later removed, but not before an elderly woman was so badly stung that she bled from her ears, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Source: Lorie O. Ordiales on Facebook. Photo for illustration purposes only.
A reader had told the Chinese daily that he was in the vicinity on Friday when he was warned to be careful of a hornets’ nest.
It was in a tree next to Block 78 Redhill Lane, which is near Redhill Market at Block 79.
Source: Google Maps
Several passers-by had already been stung, he was told.
When Shin Min reporters arrived at the scene, the Vice-Chairman of the market’s merchants’ association, a man named Mr Tan, was directing people away from the nest.
He had been drinking coffee at the food centre when he overheard people talking about the nest.
He even heard that an elderly man had fallen while trying to escape the hornets.
“Two men and two women were sent to the hospital after being stung,” Mr Tan said.
One of the women was the most seriously affected — she had even run into the toilet to rinse her hair, he added.
A 40-year-old woman named only as Meizhen (transliterated from Mandarin), who runs a yong tau foo stall, said she saw an elderly woman frantically brushing through her hair at the toilet sink.
The auntie, who appeared to be in her 70s, weakly asked her to help call an ambulance.
“There must have been more than ten hornets circling her head. Some were crawling out of her hair while others were flying onto the floor and the doors,” Meizhen added, describing the situation as “terrifying”.
More horrifyingly, the elderly woman’s ears were swollen and bleeding, and she had visible sting marks on her hands.
Another female stallholder helped call an ambulance, said Meizhen, who is not fluent in English.
Source: Google Maps
That stallholder also brought in a wheelchair for the semi-conscious elderly woman.
A few of them then helped her into the wheelchair and pushed her out of the toilet.
In response to to queries from MS News, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at about 1.30pm on 10 July.
It came from Redhill Lane, it added.
Four people were conveyed to Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
Tanjong Pagar Town Council (TPTC) later told Shin Min that it was informed about the hornets’ nest at about 1pm on Friday.
It was found in a tree beside a walkway between Block 78 Redhill Lane and a petrol station.
Source: Google Maps
The area was immediately cordoned off and a pest control contractor was arranged to remove the nest.
The nest was subsequently safely removed, with the area declared safe for the public.
Two workers were seen removing the nest at about 2pm on the same day.
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Featured image adapted from Lorie O. Ordiales on Facebook and Google Maps. Photo on the left for illustration purposes only.