Australia: Seven-year-old was 68th recorded victim of deadly creature
The perils of travel Down Under have been highlighted with the news that a seven-year-old boy was killed by a deadly box jellyfish as he swam near the northern city of Cairns.
He is the 68th person to die after being stung by one of the fearsome creatures since the Australian authorities started compiling records at the end of the 19th century.
The box jellyfish is generally recognised as one of the most poisonous creatures on earth and victims often suffer terrible injuries even if they do not perish.
Beach goers are regularly warned of the dangers of the creatures and public beaches in the north of the country are often checked for box jellyfish, but it appears the boy was swimming in an unprotected area.
