Twenty-four people were injured during a 30-minute bee attack in the French alpine town of Aurillac, with three victims initially in critical condition now improving.

Twenty-four people were hurt and three were rushed to hospital in critical condition when hundreds of bees suddenly attacked people in the central-southern town on Sunday morning. According to local media, one of them was a 78-year-old woman who was stung 25 times and had to be resuscitated after a cardiorespiratory arrest.

Bees have attacked passersby in the French town of Aurillac and injured 24 people. Local authorities say three victims from the Sunday morning attack were initially in critical condition but have since improved.