A 2-year-old girl died on Sunday and nine other people remained hospitalised yesterday in Oddar Meanchey province after being poisoned by cassava, a local official said yesterday.

Nhem Bunchan, Ou’Tamaeng village chief, identified the toddler as Heng Leang, who died while being transported to Anlong Veng District Referral Hospital. Her siblings, Heng Hean, 11, and Heng Sreyhor, 9, are among those hospitalised. The others being treated are all relatives.

Those in the hospital were stable yesterday, he said.

“Based on my observation and the claims from the doctor, cassava normally contains [toxins], which can poison the person consuming it if they eat too much,” he said. “The victim had a stomachache, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea.”

Mak Chroeun, the victim’s aunt and one of the nine hospitalised, said she had heard cassava could be dangerous, but her family had never had problems with it in the past.

She said the victim’s parents are working in Thailand and left their three children in the care of their grandmother.

The parents will return to Cambodia for the funeral.