30 Cambodian villagers fall ill after taking contaminated food

Some 30 Cambodian villagers fell ill in two separate incidents after taking contaminated food, local officials said Tuesday.

One incident occurred Tuesday in Preah Theat commune in O Raing Ov district of northwestern Tboung Khmum province, leaving 13 locals hospitalized after they ate wild mushrooms cut from a thicket of bamboos, said the district police chief Loeung Ratha.

"They felt fatigued, dizzy and vomited after eating the soup made from the mushrooms," he said, adding that the victims were timely sent to hospital and were recovering.

The other incident took place on Sunday in Preah Sre commune in Odong district of western Kampong Speu province, leaving 17 villagers, including six children, hospitalized after eating contaminated pickled vegetables, Huy Seng, a clerk of Preah Sre commune, said.

"They got headache, stomachache and had diarrhea, just hours after they ate the pickled vegetables that were made by a villager, " he said, adding that the maker and her family were also got sick.

It was suspected that the vegetables were contaminated with insecticide as a result of failure to properly clean, he said.

As of Tuesday, 4 of the ill-fated villagers remained in hospital, he said. Enditem