31 Cambodians fall ill after eating tainted snacks

At least 31 Cambodian people, mostly schoolchildren, got sick after eating baguettes filled with meat and pickles, a local official confirmed on Wednesday.

The incident took place in Snuol district in eastern countrys Kratie province on Tuesday after they ate the baguettes filled with meat and pickles bought from a street-side vendor, districts deputy governor Men Vanna said.

He said about six hours after eating the tainted snacks, they had headache, stomach ache and vomit and were sent to hospitals for medical treatment on Tuesday evening.

Their condition was not serious. As of Wednesday, all of them have recovered and returned home,he told Xinhua.

According to Men Vanna, it was suspected that the vegetables, especially cucumbers, which were put in the baguettes, were contaminated with insecticide as a result of failure to properly clean.

Checks on food are rare in Cambodia, where safety regulations are lax.

In March last year, some 570 villagers, mostly schoolchildren, got sick after eating tainted snacks provided to a school during a local NGO-organized event in northwestern Siem Reap province. Enditem