Pretoria - A Grade 1 pupil was admitted to Montana Hospital in a serious condition after he was stung by more than 60 bees at an after school centre on Monday afternoon.
Xzaine McCarthy, 6, was one of 40 children between the ages of two and six who were attacked by bees at the Hansie and Grietjie crèche and after school centre in Pretoria North.
"At first I thought there had been a big accident. When I arrived at the school to pick up my child, the area was cordoned off with yellow tape," said Bianca McCarthy, Xzaine's mother, in front of the hospital on Monday.
She had no idea what had happened at the school and somebody there called the hospital to find out if Xzaine had been admitted.
Nobody called his mother
"I don't know how many times he had been stung, but it was apparently more than 60 times. He is not allergic to bees," said McCarthy. "I don't know at what time it happened. Nobody called me to inform me he had been taken away (to hospital)."
Another child was still in the trauma unit of the hospital during the early evening. He would have been transferred to the children's ward later.
Nick Dollman, spokesperson for Netcare 911, said paramedics found the school in a state of chaos after the children had been stung. The children were terrified and in shock.
The first paramedics to arrive at the school, as well as a police member and members of the public, were also stung.
According to Dollman 48 patients were taken to hospitals in the area for treatment.
Some of the toddlers were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure as nobody knew for sure whether they had been stung or whether they might be allergic to bee stings.
Altogether 32 patients were taken to Eugene Marais Hospital, one to Medicross, four to Akasia and 11 to Montana for treatment. By late on Monday only Montana had confirmed that two boys and a teacher would be kept overnight for observation.
Members of the Tshwane emergency services sprayed the bees at the school with Jeyes Fluid.
Elize van Niekerk, owner of the school, said the bees were killed. The school's emergency plan became operational after the swarm of bees had attacked. The school would continue with normal activities on Tuesday.
The bees apparently came from a neighbouring property.