Forty workers at a garment factory in the capital’s Por Sen Chey district fainted over the course of Friday and Saturday after inhaling fumes caused by a malfunction in the ventilation system, according to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

A fire inside the ventilation system at the Tien Sung Garment factory led to a build-up of fumes, causing 30 workers to faint on Friday and 10 more the following day.

According to a statement released on Saturday by the NSSF, the workers were sent to a private clinic, and the fund has paid for their medical treatment.

“The officials from NSSF went to [the factory] to examine the environment and have demanded the factory to improve its system,” the statement said.

One of the workers, Srey Na, described the impact on her coworkers. “Now we are better. It smelled bad and we were so shocked when we saw our colleagues faint,” she said.

There have been past instances of improper ventilation in garment factories leading to mass fainting, though long working hours and heat are often cited as factors as well.

Tien Sung Garment could not be reached for comment yesterday.