In Laos, six tourists die after drinking alcohol, an update on the facts

INTERNATIONAL – A series of suspected poisonings which claimed a new victim. Holly Bowles, a 19-year-old Australian teenager, died in Laos, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs announced this Friday, November 22. His death brings to six the number of foreign tourists who have died after consuming apparently adulterated alcohol.

All stayed in Vang Vieng, a town in the northwest of Laos very popular with backpackers. HuffPost takes stock of the known facts.

• What happened in Vang Vieng

The two Australian women who died, Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, were friends and were traveling together in Laos. Last week, they started feeling unwell while staying at the Nana Backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng, Australian media reported. After drinking at the inn's bar, both planned to go out for the evening, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

They ultimately did not leave their room, and the hostel staff rushed them to the hospital. Their deaths were announced this Thursday, November 21 and Friday, November 22. If the hostel manager told the news agency Associated Press that no other customer had fallen ill, Australia called on the Laotian authorities for a full and transparent investigation to clarify the facts.

The football club the two teenagers were part of paid tribute to them on X. Holly's loved ones said: “We find comfort and consolation in knowing that Holly brought so much joy and happiness to so many people,” according to words reported by Seven News. “Holly was living her best life traveling around Southeast Asia, meeting new friends and having incredible experiences,” they also said.

· What we know about the other four victims

According to British and Australian media, a total of a dozen tourists fell ill on November 12, after a night out in Vang Vieng. It appears all of the victims drank alcohol at a bar. Several were hospitalized in Bangkok, in neighboring Thailand.

Apart from the two Australian teenagers, the death of a young British lawyer named Simone White was announced by the British Foreign Office. Two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, also died last week, Danish authorities confirmed.

Finally, the US State Department confirmed Thursday to CNN that an American citizen had died in Vang Vieng. The latter did not specify the reason for the death, but said that the United States “were closely monitoring the situation.”

“The suspected cause of death is the consumption of contaminated alcoholic beverages,” indicated the official Laotian press agency, but this hypothesis remains to be confirmed. “Authorities are gathering detailed information, evidence and testimonies and are expected to issue an official statement soon,” she clarified.

· The dangers of methanol poisoning

In their travel advice, the authorities of several Western countries warn their nationals about the risks of methanol poisoning when consuming alcohol in Laos. The British Foreign Office reports: cases of death and serious illness caused by alcoholic beverages »mainly counterfeits of well-known brands of vodka or local spirits.

Methanol is an alcohol used in the manufacture of antifreeze or windshield washer fluid, varnish or photocopier fluid. It can be added to other alcohols to increase their potency or reduce their price, but it can cause blindness, liver damage and death. Last August, six people died and around 20 were hospitalized in Thailand after drinking contraband alcohol containing methanol.

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