Death of four young tourists after drinking free vodka shots offered by the bar manager: the death toll rises, a fifth tourist has died

A British tourist has died in a Laos town popular with backpackers, the fifth victim of suspected poisoning from adulterated alcohol containing methanol, British media reported Thursday evening.

According to press reports, a group of a dozen tourists fell ill on November 12 after a night out in Vang Vieng, a town in northwest Laos once notorious for bad behavior by young tourists at jungle parties. , which has recently restored its image as an ecotourism destination. Several were hospitalized in neighboring Thailand.

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.

19-year-old 'is fighting for her life'

The other victims are two Danes, an Australian and an American, according to their respective governments, which do not specify the causes of death. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced in Parliament the death of a 19-year-old Australian woman, Bianca Jones, while another young woman of the same age, Holly Bowles, “is fighting for her life.”

The two Australians, originally from Melbourne, started to feel 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.

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.