Forty-nine garment workers fainted at the Ly Chiang factory in Kampong Cham’s Batheay district yesterday after farmers sprayed pesticides on crops nearby, according to the National Social Security Fund.

At about 7:30am, the workers began to experience headaches, had difficulty breathing, felt weak and fainted one after another, the NSSF said in a Facebook post.

Ten in serious condition and 39 experiencing minor symptoms were sent to the Batheay Referral Hospital. NSSF staff were dispatched to the factory to assess the incident and investigate possible preventative measures. Hospital director Dr Touch Huot said all the workers had been discharged from the hospital by 4pm.

“We gave them vomiting medicine,” he said, adding that those more seriously affected, with strong headaches, were also given IVs.

Ly Chiang could not be reached for comment.

Last month, there were two mass faintings in one week at Grand East Footwear Factory in Kandal province. In the first incident, 80 workers fainted, while 60 fainted during the second occurrence.