More than 50 workers from four garment factories in the capital’s Vattanac Industrial Park 2 had fainted yesterday, police said, but a union representative put the figure at more than 200 – which is the number who collapsed at the same site just a day earlier.

Ouk Ly, chief of police in Dangkor district’s Krang Pongro commune, said yesterday the latest incident happened about 7am in all but one of the factories that experienced workers fainting on Wednesday.

“The workers from four of the five factories where hundreds fainted [the day before], fainted again when they arrived at work,” he said.

Free Trade Union officer Oum Lina said her officials estimated as many as 600 had fainted over the two days.

“There were about 300 workers who fainted this morning. They were sent to the hospitals and some went to their homes,” she said.

The factories, which are close together, are Newpex Company, Papillion Textile (Cambodia) and the Moha Garment Company I, II, and III factories.

An administrative officer at the Moha Garment Company who declined to be named said more than 30 workers from her factory had fainted in two days and were sent to hospital for treatment.

“It is not a serious health problem for them. Most of them were just dizzy and vomited when they smelled fumes or when they saw other workers faint,” she said.

“The fainting was not caused by my factory, but there was a smell coming from outside. Some workers said they smelled gasoline and some said they smelled pesticide, but we do not know where it comes from.”

All workers had been allowed to go home, she said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mom Kunthear at [email protected]