Hundreds more have been stung by swarms of the flying insects in the Angkang city area of Shaanxi province.
Residents in the village of Sanping have been warned to remain vigilant over the threat, especially when out in the woods.
Many of the victims were chased for hundreds of yards by the hornets before being stung up to 200 times.
Hospitals have been inundated with hornet victims in recent months, according to Zhou Yuanhong, a health official in Angkang.
He said that a handful of people are killed every year in the region by hornets, especially in forested areas, but that this year has been unusually severe, possibly because of weather changes.
Thousands of hornets can live in a single nest, while their sting can lead to anaphylactic shock.
Dozens killed by giant hornets in Angkang, Shaanxi, China | Metro News
Residents in the village of Sanping have been warned to remain vigilant over the threat, especially when out in the woods.
Many of the victims were chased for hundreds of yards by the hornets before being stung up to 200 times.
Hospitals have been inundated with hornet victims in recent months, according to Zhou Yuanhong, a health official in Angkang.
He said that a handful of people are killed every year in the region by hornets, especially in forested areas, but that this year has been unusually severe, possibly because of weather changes.
Thousands of hornets can live in a single nest, while their sting can lead to anaphylactic shock.
Dozens killed by giant hornets in Angkang, Shaanxi, China | Metro News
