Death toll from tainted wine in Cambodia rises to 5, as 110 hospitalized

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Five villagers had died and 110 others hospitalized in Central Cambodia's Kampong Chhnang province after drinking locally-made rice wine, which was suspicious of containing high levels of methanol, the Health Ministry's spokeswoman Or Vandine said at Sunday night.

The incident happened in a rural village in Teuk Pos district on Saturday when the victims drank the tainted wine during the funeral of a villager who had died of drinking pond water contaminating with pesticide residues, she said.