Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Ten Cambodian villagers have died and 120 others have been sickened after drinking water suspected to be contaminated with insecticide, a health official said Sunday.
The dead and sickened villagers exhibited the same symptoms including breathing problems, dizziness, vomiting and chest pains, said the head of the Kratie Provincial Health Department, Chhneang Sivutha.
He said villagers began getting sick on Thursday. Health authorities have collected water and food samples from the two villages and are awaiting laboratory results.
The deputy provincial police chief, Chhim Sokhim, suspected rainwater from nearby farms that use insecticide had come into contact with a stream where villagers collect water used for drinking and cooking.
Outbreaks of food and water poisoning are not uncommon in Cambodia, where health checks are rare and safety regulations lax.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
