KANPUR, May 26 -- A swarm of bees attacked a group of senior administrative officials, including 2 IAS officers, near the Buddhist caves in the dense forest area of Deogarh on Sunday, triggering panic and leaving several injured. Among those injured were Sunil Kumar Verma, special secretary (silk development), chief development officer (CDO) KK Pandey, and additional district magistrate (ADM) for Namami Gange, Rajesh Srivastava, according to officials in Lalitpur. The incident took place while the officials were on a multi-day visit to the district to review developmental projects and evaluate tourism potential. After inspecting the remains of the Dashavatara temple, the group proceeded towards the nearby Buddhist caves. As they neared the site, a swarm of bees suddenly attacked, triggering a chaotic stampede. According to eyewitnesses, the sudden attack left several officials and staff members scrambling for safety. While some managed to take cover inside vehicles, others fled into the forest, hiding behind trees. However, senior officers-including the Special Secretary, CDO, and ADM-were unable to escape in time and suffered the worst of the attack. Orderlies and security personnel accompanying the team tried to shield the officials during the chaos, but they too were stung in the process of the rescue effort. Upon receiving the information, Sanjeev Jain, managing president of the Digambar Jain Committee, and secretary Gaurav Jain, along with local villagers, rushed to the scene. They provided immediate assistance by covering the injured with blankets and coordinating with emergency services. ADM (finance and revenue) Ankur Srivastava and sub-divisional magistrate Chandra Bhushan Pratap, along with a team of officials and ambulances, arrived at the site from Kuchdau and Garhauli villages. The injured were promptly evacuated and rushed to the district hospital for treatment. Medical treatment was administered to the senior officials and several support staff, including orderlies and gunmen. District magistrate Akshay Tripathi visited the hospital to assess the situation and instructed the medical team to provide the best possible care to the injured. htc...