Two elderly women who were admitted to hospital after being stung by a swarm of wasps died on Wednesday. Kunjupennu, 109 and her daughter Thankamma, 80, residents of Punchavayyal, Pakkanam in Erumeli gram panchayat, died at a hospital in Mundakkayam.

Kunjupennu was attacked by wasps while she was walking along the pepper plantation adjacent to her residence on Tuesday evening. Kunjupennu noticed a dry coconut leaf hanging over the pepper vine, and she tried to take it off.

While she was removing the leaf, it hit a wasp comb, and she was attacked by wasps. Hearing her screams, Thankamma came to her rescue, but she was also stung by wasps. Joy, who was working on the farm and Vishnudarshan, a youth from the neighbourhood, were also attacked by wasps. They are under treatment at the hospital. Kunjupennu died in the early morning hours on Wednesday, while Thankamma died around 12.30 pm.

Kunjupennu, the oldest resident in the panchayat, was honoured by the local body in 2023. She was a respected farmer in the village, said ward member Shinimol. Kunjupennu was very active even in her old age. She had some issues with hearing otherwise she was very healthy. Even at this age, she took care of farming, said Shinimol.