Mourners at a funeral in Zimbabwe had to abandon a coffin in a church and flee from a swarm of attacking bees that left more than 30 people injured, according to reports on Tuesday.

The incident occurred early on Sunday in the remote western Tsholotsho district when one of the mourners, who had left the church to visit a latrine, ran back inside pursued by the angry bees.

"Before we knew what was happening people started screaming and running in different directions," one of the church members, Cecelia Chivi, told the Bulawayo-based Chronicle newspaper.

"The coffin was left in the church as everybody ran for their lives," she said.

"I have never seen such a huge swarm of bees in my entire life and I want to believe that all the people who were there are alive by God's grace," Chivi added.

Members of the funeral service company had to use their vehicles to ferry congregants to hospital with swollen faces, hands, backs and legs, the paper said.

The funeral, attended by the few congregants who had not been stung, resumed two hours later when the bees had left the church building.