Kampot: Kampot Governor, Mr. Cheav Tay has ordered a total clampdown on the production and sale of illegal wine. He wants all establishments and facilities making wine illegally to be shut. The move follows the deaths of 12 people in Kampot’s Kampong Trach district.

Cambodia has been hit by a wave of wine poisoning deaths in recent weeks. Despite repeated warnings from local authorities, people have continued to produce and sell illegal wines, made from a variety of fruits and rice, but the latest deaths in Kampot have now drawn a line. Provincial Governor Mr. Cheav Tay has instructed his district governors to shut down all illegal wineries.

Beyond Kampot, three more people died in Kandal at the weekend, allegedly after drinking homemade wine. During May and June, at least 30 people died in similar incidents across the country. Authorities have again issued warnings about homemade wines which do not undergo any proper screening by health officials.