A 90-year-old grandmother died from a wasp attack when she mistook a nest of killer insects for mango fruit.

Chutima Pongchaiphum was eyeing what she thought was ripe fruit from a tree near her home but when she poked it hundreds of deadly creatures emerged in Chaiyaphum province, Thailand on March 30.

The old woman was repeatedly dive-bombed and stung by the wasps before being discovered lying on the ground by a neighbour Supit Paisan, 58, who immediately called her relatives for help.

The old woman was left with dozens of stings across her face and body before dying from a severe allergic reaction while being rushed to the hospital.

Neighbour Supit said: 'I was on my way to collect grass for cows when I noticed her collapsed on the ground. I called her relatives. I was so shocked.

'Before that, I already heard a woman crying in pain but I could not tell where it was from. I then saw her near the fence while on my way to the farm.'

Some of the disturbed wasps were still flying around the old woman's body when the neighbour found her so they could not take her away immediately.

The rescue volunteers found the woman lying on the ground in pain as wasps were flying around her face, arms, legs, and head.

Chutima was rushed to Chaiyaphum Hospital but later passed away as her stamina could not take the wasp venom.

Her son Sergeant Major Adisak Pongchaiyaphum said: 'My father died three years ago and my mother lived in this house with my niece. She has a bad memory so sometimes we have to have the gate locked to prevent her from leaving the house.

'Somehow she managed to leave the house on that day to pick mangoes and had accidentally hit the wasp nest. I want this to be a lesson for other homes to always keep their property clean and tidy.'

Relatives and neighbours sprayed insecticides and fumigated the area to prevent similar attacks in the future.