Killer hornets nest destroyed with FLAME THROWER by China's army There are times when a simple spray or powder just won't do the job. Faced with a 1.5m-wide nest of hornets perched 30m up a tree, one Chinese town felt there was no option but to call in the army - complete with military-issue flame thrower. The insects, which can grow up to 1.5in-long, had reportedly already stung one local to death, so the locals refused to take any chances. Fire in the hole! Chinese soldiers use a flame thrower to torch a nest of hornets 30m up a tree Who need a powder repellent? A bolt of fire is sent shooting into the tree to engulf the nest in flames Video shows officers dressed in camouflaged uniforms and wearing gas masks as if they were preparing to enter a war zone. Having surveyed the area, one officer places the flame thrower precariously on the shoulder of a colleague before launching a bolt of fire into the tree. After a few more bursts, the hornet nest is seen engulfed in fire. The unit's commander said their extreme tactics were necessary. Inferno: The nest, which contained hornets up to 1.5in-long, goes up in flames Before and after: The nest, which measured around 1.5m in diameter, is exterminated 'The wasp nest was quite big,' he told the news crew, according to Rocket News 24. It would be difficult to remove, so after having a meeting to discuss the nest, it was decided that the best course of action would be to take it down with a flame thrower. The extermination apparently took place in the town of Jiangjin Tsz Wan Yuen Tsuen last year. Their methods might appear entirely justified given the recent plague of deadly hornets which have killed dozens of people and injured more than 1,600 in the north of the country. In the latest incident, nearly 30 children have been hospitalised with severe organ failure after being stung. Some of the children were stung more than 200 times, according to one of the hospital doctors. It comes after it was revealed that more than 40 people had been killed by the aggressive insects.