Roughly 19 people in China have been stung to death by killer hornets within the last three months CNN reported.
"I ran and shouted for help, but the hornets chased me about 200 meters, and stung me for more than three minutes," Chen Changlin, who was hospitalized after the hornets attacked while he was harvesting rice last week, told the China Youth Daily.
Chen said the hornets cornered a woman and child working near him. The two then ran towards him, but died from the hornet's toxins. Approximately 583 others in the area have been stung by Asian killer hornets since July 1 city officials told CNN. While the majority of the victims have been released from the hospital, 70 still remain.
"The more you run, the more they want to chase you," another victim said, according to CNN.
The man's kidneys were ravaged by the venom. His urine was also the same color as soy sauce. This month, 30 people including 23 primary school children between six and eight years of age were also hurt in a hornet attack in China's Guangxi province, located south of Shaanxi.
Their teacher Li Zhiqiang told his students to stay under tables as he attempted to shear the insects away before losing consciousness.
According to CNN, the school's headmaster told the local media the hornets stung the majority of the students on their heads, necks, hands, and feet. About 60 students and teachers were also injured In a separate incident in the province this month.
The reasons behind the attacks on humans can be attributed to the recent hot and dry weather in the region, land development, and how well the insects can smell people. The hornets are formidable, carnivorous killers according to the Honeybee Conservancy.
