According to an investigation by the Labour Ministry’s fainting prevention committee, the death of a garment worker last week at the Taiwanese-owned Accasette Garment Factory was not caused by toxic chemical substances, as authorities had previously suspected, but was instead a case of cardiac arrest.

On May 31, garment worker Khat Samerl collapsed in the factory compound and died on the way to a nearby private clinic. The news of her death was blamed for causing more than 20 female workers to faint.

Head of the committee Pok Vanthat said yesterday that after investigations, the victim was found to have died from cardiac arrest and not from inhaling toxic substances.

“We have not found poisonous chemical substances in the clothes and the environment of the production building has been designed in accordance with technical standards,” he said.

Factory administration director Taing Maosae said yesterday that this was the first death of an employee during work hours, and of mass fainting on the factory floor.

It is the first time that the factory has experienced this problem since the production chain started in 2013” he said.

Hean Ravy representative of the workers union at the factory said that it accepted the conclusion of the fainting prevention committee.

He added that the National Security Social Fund (NSSF) should compensate the victim’s family for the incident.

NSSF spokesman Cheav Bunrith could not be reached for comment yesterday.

According to Maosae, the factory has offered $1,000 in compensation to the victim’s family for funeral expenses.