Six people died last week in Cambodia's eastern Kratie province after they drank locally made rice wine, which is suspected of being contaminated with poisonous substance, a senior police officer said on Monday.
"Five men and a woman, aged between 34 and 53 years old, had died subsequently last week - some died at hospitals and others at homes - after they drank locally made wine," Om Phy, deputy police chief of Kratie province, told Xinhua.
He said the victims had the same symptoms - chest pain, dizzy and eye irritation - before they passed away.
"We suspected that they died of wine poisoning and a sample of the wine had been sent to a health laboratory for examination," he said, adding that the result was unavailable yet.
It was the second major incident of wine poisoning in the last three years. In October 2011, six villagers died and 52 were hospitalized in northwestern Pursat province after they drank locally made rice wine during a party.