Thirty-six young monks and two students in Kampong Cham province were struck down by food poisoning on Monday, with 19 of them hospitalised after eating what is believed to have been tainted pickled mustard greens, though all had recovered as of yesterday.

Srei Santhor district deputy police chief Tri Bunoeun said the monks and students at the Baray commune pagoda had several dishes for lunch, including the mustard greens. By about 4pm, several began to experience vomiting and diarrhoea.

“Students ate some leftover food from the monks, and then at about 4pm, they weren’t feeling well. [They] began vomiting, had diarrhea and were exhausted,” he said.

District referral hospital chief Heng Kim Ean said 19 monks had been treated there, while the others were treated at the pagoda with IVs and medication.

“We suspect that the pickled mustard greens caused the poisoning since we noticed that other monks who didn’t eat that were not sick,” he said. “We have sent a sample to the [Ministry of Health].”

The monks were released from hospital yesterday morning.