Five people were conveyed to hospitals after a hornet attack at Sungei Buloh on Jul. 14.

In a post on Xiaohongshu, a user shared that he saw four ambulances and some people applying ice packs to their heads at the nature reserve.

After asking what happened, a relative of one of the injured shared that they had been "stung by bees", the user said.

In response to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) shared that they received a call for assistance at 301 Neo Tiew Crescent at around 4:55 p.m. on Jul. 14.

SCDF conveyed four persons to Woodlands Health Campus and another person to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

Location cordoned off

The National Parks Board (NParks)'s group director of conservation, Lim Liang Jim, told Mothership that the visitors were stung by hornets, and staff assisted on-site to help the affected visitors seek medical attention.

Lim said that the location of the incident has been cordoned off.

The area will also be surveyed for any hornet's nests.

Hornets are large-bodied wasps that live in large colonies, and hornets sting to defend their hives like honey bees, he added.

Hornets may build their hives on trees, within low-lying shrubs, and even on the ground.

"If members of the public encounter a hornet, they should remain as calm as possible and refrain from hitting the insect. They should calmly move the part of their body that the hornet is resting on or gently brush it off, and it will fly away peacefully," Lim said.

He also advised the public that if they have been stung by a hornet, they should wash the wound with soap and water and apply an ice pack.

They should also seek immediate medical attention if allergic reactions such as rashes, swelling, or breathlessness occur.

Top photos from Facebook via Lianhe Zaobao & Wikimedia Commons (for illustrative purposes)