Shocked road travellers filmed the moment a busy toll station got overtaken by swarms of bees that even began settling on the passing vehicles and attempting to build hives on them after a lorry filled with bee hives overturned.
The bizarre scenario was prompted when a vehicle carrying the bees got in a crash on the expressway in Fuxin – in north-eastern China’s Liaoning Province – and let them loose on oncoming traffic.
The flying insects quickly surrounded the nearby toll station and began flocking to the passing cars.
One video filmed by an unnamed passenger shows the rear of a black SUV being completely overtaken by dozens – if not hundreds – of bees.
Another similar clip shows a blue sedan’s windshield and front windows covered in more bees, blocking the driver’s view and apparently forcing him to stop.
According to Ms Cai, an eyewitness, the swarms invading numerous vehicles created a heavy blockade, with car owners unable to move and having to await rescuers.
The rescuers’ intervention itself was not an easy task as police officers had to risk being stung as they struggled to direct traffic.
Worryingly, some traffic police officers were not wearing protective clothing, making them more vulnerable to bees.
Ms Cai said that people were stuck in traffic for two to three hours.
Many people had to wait inside their stuffy cars during hot weather, too afraid to open a window or step outside and get stung.
After several hours of trouble, the bees gradually left the toll station and everyone could breathe a sigh of relief as the road became clear again.
