The injured girl had wounds all over her legs.
On the afternoon of September 24, four students from Erlong Village, Shangluo Town, Gong County, Yibin, were attacked by venomous hornets on their way home from Xinlian Village Primary School. Zhou Rong, a 7-year-old girl, died from serious injuries. Wang Li, Gong Wei, and Sun Huairong were sent to Gong County People's Hospital and Yibin Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital for emergency treatment. Sun Huairong received a critical condition notice due to multiple organ dysfunction. Yesterday, the venomous hornet nest was burned.
At around 2 p.m. on September 24, Zhou Rong, a 7-year-old girl from Erlong Village, Shangluo Town, Gong County, Yibin, and her adopted sister Sun Huairong were resting on a rock at Nanchangpo after school from Xinlian Primary School. Suddenly, they were attacked by venomous hornets, leading to a tragedy: 7-year-old Zhou Rong stopped breathing after being taken to the hospital, while 13-year-old Sun Huairong suffered multiple organ damage and received a critical condition notice. Two other 14-year-old boys, Wang Li and Gong Wei, were stung on their heads and backs by the hornets.
Encounter with hornets: Her constant rolling accelerated the attack
It is understood that when Zhou Rong and Sun Huairong were resting, Zhou Rong suddenly felt a sting on her eyelid and hand. She cried out in pain and tried to swat it away. Sun Huairong also noticed hornets flying onto her body. Soon after, a large swarm of hornets attacked both girls, causing them to burst into tears.
At that moment, a motorcyclist passing by told the sisters to lie flat on the ground and not move. However, as a large number of hornets continued stinging Zhou Rong, she kept writhing and crying. Meanwhile, Wang Li and Gong Wei, who were a bit ahead, heard the crying behind them. Before Wang Li could run over, he found himself surrounded by hornets. He quickly took off his clothes and slapped at them, then rolled around in the grass to crush the attacking hornets. He then ran to his grandfather’s house nearby and called his parents to report the incident.
Seeing Wang Li being stung, Gong Wei started running but still couldn’t escape the hornets’ stings. At that time, Zhou Rong and Sun Huairong were lying on the ground. Sun Huairong endured the pain without moving, while Zhou Rong kept rolling, which only accelerated the hornets’ attacks. Eventually, Sun Huairong’s adoptive father, Sun Wenkang, arrived and manually drove away the hornets, then took the two girls to Shangluo Town Hospital.
Emergency treatment: Doctor says the child is beyond help
Local doctors told Zhou Rong’s father that she needed to be transferred to a larger hospital in the county or city as soon as possible. Around 6:30 p.m., Zhou Rong said she wanted water. The doctor said she couldn’t drink in her condition. Soon after, her body went limp. The doctor performed CPR, but Zhou Rong had no breath left. The doctor informed her family that the child could not be saved. Later, Wang Li, Gong Wei, and the severely stung Sun Huairong were immediately transferred to a hospital in the county.
Gong Wei, who was receiving treatment at the hospital, recalled that after hearing Wang Li’s cries, he ran over and saw Wang Li rolling on the ground. Not far away, Sun Huairong and Zhou Rong were surrounded by hornets. He immediately ran back but unfortunately couldn’t avoid the hornets’ stings. On his way, Gong Wei met his parents and was taken directly to the hospital for treatment.
Wang Li said that being stung by the hornets felt like being hit with a stick; he had black wounds on his head and back from the stings.
According to reports, Sun Huairong had extensive stings on her back, as well as on her legs and hands. Her face and neck were swollen. Her adoptive father, Sun Wenkang, is in dire financial straits. His own hand was stung by hornets that day, but he couldn’t afford treatment. He plans to use the limited donated money solely for his daughter Sun Huairong’s treatment.
Critical condition: Organ damage, critical condition notice issued
As the venom had spread to Sun Huairong’s liver and heart, she needed to be transferred to a city-level hospital for treatment. On the morning of September 25, after communication between Gong County People's Hospital and 120 emergency services, Sun Huairong was sent to the West District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (City Second Hospital) for treatment around 11 a.m.
Du Xiaohua, president of the Gong County Volunteer Federation, received a text message seeking help about the children’s stings on the evening of September 24. On the morning of September 25, he quickly shared the information in his QQ groups, prompting many government departments to offer resources and solutions.
According to Sun Huairong’s attending physician, Chen Lei, her multiple organs have been damaged, and her condition is severe. A critical condition notice has been issued, and measures will be taken according to her condition to stabilize her as much as possible.
Village secretary: Hornet nest burned overnight
According to villagers in Erlong Village, this violent hornet attack was the first they’d ever encountered. Previously, there had been isolated sightings of a few hornets, but never a swarm attacking people. Li Gang, the village secretary of Erlong Village, said the location of the hornet nest has been found. They plan to act overnight, using gasoline or old clothes to burn the nest, ensuring children can safely return to school. Meanwhile, Sun Huairong’s condition urgently needs to be controlled before it worsens further—otherwise, the consequences could be dire. The medical expenses are also a major challenge that needs immediate resolution.
According to Li Gang, due to the hornet attack on the afternoon of September 24, for safety reasons, most students from Erlong Village heading to Xinlian Primary School did not attend classes on September 25. Reported by Liu Xidi and Zeng Jiang, Huaxi City Reader
1. If stung by venomous hornets, stay calm. Generally, wait patiently for 10–20 minutes until the hornets calm down, then slowly leave the area to reduce injury.
2. When hiking or traveling, avoid wearing perfume or brightly colored clothing to prevent attracting hornets.
3. If stung by a hornet, remove the stinger immediately. If stung by a wasp, where the stinger may not remain in the wound, wash the area with clean water or acetic acid solution.
4. Use local herbs such as dandelion, viola, sedum, Paris polyphylla, or lobelia, crush them, and apply them externally as a poultice.
5. For those experiencing systemic allergic reactions, seek immediate hospital care. Administer 0.1g of adrenaline (0.5ml subcutaneous injection), or take oral antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine or cetirizine.
6. In cases of reduced urination or hemoglobinuria, provide hemodialysis combined with hemoperfusion or filtration.