A senior umpire of the Kanpur Cricket Association, Manik Gupta, died after a swarm of bees attacked players and officials during a local cricket match at Sapru ground in Shuklaganj, Unnao on Wednesday. The KDMA league match between YMCC and Paramount was disrupted after a sudden attack, leaving several players and the umpires injured.
“Manik officiated in the previous match held under the KCA’s U13 League tournament. It got over at around 1:30PM. He stayed back for one of his friends, who was officiating in another match which started after the first match. It was then the bees attacked,” Dinesh Katiyar, general manager of KCA, told The New Indian Express.
“Usually those who were wearing white t-shirts were attacked. Around a dozen of players and a few others including another umpire were also stung during the attack. Manik sustained multiple stings and was immediately taken to hospital,” he said.
Gupta is survived by his wife and four daughters, three of whom are already married.
“His last rites were performed at Bhagwat Das Ghat in Kanpur on Thursday. Manik was a district-level umpire. The KCA will provide ex-gratia to his kin. Besides, the cricket fraternity of Kanpur is also in talks with Unnao district magistrate. We are expecting some financial assistance from the district administration as well. As Manik had a long association with us, we will also contribute to make sure his family gets financial assistance,” said Katiyar.
Katiyar further added that Manik was was diabetic and the sudden attack had shaken him badly.
“Others including children sustained multiple stings but they are recovering well. Manik was diabetic and was petrified when we rushed him to the hospital. As his family did not opt for an autopsy, it could not be ascertained what led to his death,” Katiyar said.
The 65-year-old umpire was rushed to two private hospitals after his condition worsened before he was referred to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital (LLR) in Kanpur and later to the Laxmipat Singhania Institute of Cardiology, where he was declared dead.
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