2 Cambodians died, 44 hospitalized after drinking tainted rice wine

At least two Cambodian villagers died and 44 others hospitalized in eastern Kratie province after drinking tainted rice wine at a funeral, a local police chief said on Monday.

Bun Chhoeun, police chief of Sambo district, where the incident took place, said the victims, including two women, drank the tainted wine on Friday and fell ill on the following day.

"They had the same symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, nausea and eye irritation," he told Xinhua, adding that one man died in hospital on Saturday and the other died on Sunday.

According to Bun Chhoeun, as of Monday, two out of the 44 hospitalized villagers remained in critical condition.

He said samples of the tainted wine were still being examined, but doctors suspected the wine "contained high levels of ethanol".

Last November, six Cambodian men died in the province after drinking home-made rice wine, which is suspicious of contaminating with poisonous substance.

Sources: XINHUA