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Authorities Identify Worker Killed In Bee Swarm Attack In Riverside

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — Authorities released the identity of a 49-year-old man on Tuesday who was the victim of a fatal bee swarm attack in Riverside.

Shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Monday, a group of workers were exposed to an underground beehive near a Wal-Mart store located in the 5200 block of Van Buren Boulevard.

"The crew was grading a space for a new parking lot and, unbeknownst to them, they ran their blade over an underground sprinkler box that housed this hive of bees," Riverside Fire Department Battalion Chief Tony Perna said. "The bees swarmed these guys and stung three of them."

Paramedics transported one man to Parkview Community Hospital in critical condition where he later died.

According to the Coroner's office, Douglas Queen, of Los Angeles, died of a severe allergic reaction to multiple stings.

Two other workers were treated at the scene for moderate and minor injuries.

A pest control specialist from Northwest Mosquito & Vector Control District in Corona was called to the scene to dispose of the beehive.

Queen was an electrician with JDI Electrical Solutions in Perris, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations.

In response to the incident, cal-OSHA has been instructed to conduct an investigation into what happened at the site to see whether the encounter could have been prevented.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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