An 18-wheeler carrying beehives overturned Sunday near Mauriceville in eastern Texas, releasing approximately two million bees, according to local authorities. Orange County emergency services issued a statement urging residents in the affected area to stay indoors. “Everyone that lives in the [affected] area please remain indoors. An 18 wheeler carrying beehives has turned over and there is a heavy presence of bees in the area,” the statement said.
Photos posted online showed beekeepers in white protective suits working among vast clouds of bees, with large numbers of the insects clinging to nearby trees. Crews responded quickly to the scene.
Later Sunday, Orange County emergency services reported that the bees were being transferred to local beekeepers. “Crews are continuing to safely transfer the hives on to transport trucks, which will be hauled to a local honey farm,” the agency said in an update. “Residents in the immediate area are still encouraged to use caution,” the update added.
The accident is the latest in a series of unusual-load incidents on U.S. highways. Earlier this month, a truck hauling fireworks caught fire on a Tennessee highway, triggering a spectacular display. In March, 40,000 pounds of extra-firm tofu was spilled in Missouri. Last August, firefighters responded to a crash in which a truck carrying ribeye steaks burst into flames.