Nearly 120 workers at a Kandal province toy factory fainted yesterday morning, with officials citing a nearby farmer spraying his fields with pesticide as the cause.

“The farmer of the rice field outside the factory area sprayed the liquid pesticide onto his rice, and then the smell spread into the factory where the workers were working.

First, there were only seven workers who fainted, and they were sent to the referral hospital quickly.

But other workers immediately got dizzy, vomited and fainted until [there were] 119 workers” who fainted, a report from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) said.

The factory, PPNP Soya Toy Co in Khsach Kandal district, suspended production for the day, and was required to run its ventilation system for 24 hours to clear out the pesticide fumes before workers return today, according to the NSSF report.

Those workers who fainted, most of them female, have until November 27 to recuperate.

Un Yong, Khsach Kandal district deputy police chief, said yesterday that he had “educated” the farmer to only spray his fields on Sundays, and to tell authorities in advance.