The toll is increasing in Laos. A second Australian has died, the victim of suspected poisoning with adulterated alcohol containing methanol, the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday, bringing to six the number of foreign tourists who died in this case. “All Australians will be heartbroken by (this) tragic death,” Penny Wong said.
According to press reports, a group of a dozen tourists fell ill on November 12 after a night out in Vang Vieng, a popular backpacker town once notorious for bad behavior by young tourists at jungle parties. . Many people, teenagers and young adults, became ill after that evening.
So far, two Danes, two Australians, a Briton and an American are among the victims, according to their respective governments, which do not specify the causes of death. Several were hospitalized in neighboring Thailand. Australia has called for a full and transparent investigation from the Laotian authorities to clarify the facts.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Thursday in Parliament the death of a 19-year-old Australian, Bianca Jones, who was traveling with a friend of the same age. The two Australians, originally from Melbourne, started feeling unwell at the Nana Backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng, where they were staying, according to Australian media.
They drank at the hostel's bar before going out for the evening, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported. They did not leave their room on November 13 as planned and the hostel staff rushed them to the hospital.
Simone White, a 28-year-old lawyer from Kent, southeast England, was identified by British media as the fifth victim. The British Foreign Office said it “supports the family of a British woman who died in Laos”, without confirming her identity.
In their travel advice, the authorities of several Western countries warn their nationals of the risks of methanol poisoning when consuming alcohol in Laos. 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.
