Umpire Dies After Bee Swarm Attack At Unnao Match

A 65-year-old cricket umpire, Manik Gupta, died after a swarm of bees attacked players and officials during a junior league match at Rahul Sapru ground in Unnao. Six others were injured in the incident.

A 65-year-old cricket umpire died after a swarm of bees attacked players and officials during a junior league match at Rahul Sapru ground in Shuklaganj, Unnao, on Wednesday.

A top office-bearer of the Kanpur Cricket Association, which organised the game, confirmed that six others were injured.

Manik Gupta, a long-time member of the Kanpur Cricket Association’s umpiring panel, had just officiated an under-13 match and was waiting near an adjacent field when the bees descended, stinging players and officials.

Players and officials ran for cover but amid the chaos, Gupta collapsed and was stung repeatedly before being rescued.

He was rushed to clinics in Shuklaganj and later referred to LLR Hospital in Kanpur, where doctors declared him brought dead. The family declined a post-mortem.

According to India Today, eyewitnesses said Gupta sustained serious injuries in the attack and fell unconscious. He was initially taken to a private hospital in Shuklaganj and later referred to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital in Kanpur as his condition deteriorated.

Doctors at this hospital declared him dead.

In an official confirmation of the incident, S N Singh, president of the Kanpur Cricket Association, told PTI that umpire Manik Gupta died after being attacked by a swarm of bees during a cricket match in Unnao.

When Gupta was being rushed to the hospital, bees were still clinging to his face and body, Singh said, underscoring the intensity of the attack.