A group of a dozen tourists fell ill after an evening in Vang Vieng on November 12, 2024.
At least four foreign tourists have died in Vang Vieng, a Laos town popular with backpackers, government officials and media said Thursday, with poisoning from adulterated alcohol containing methanol suspected.
The 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 to 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 his life.”
The latter was hospitalized in intensive care in Bangkok, her father, Shaun Bowles, told Australian television channel Nine News.
According to British and Australian media, a group of a dozen tourists fell ill after a night out in Vang Vieng on November 12. Several were hospitalized in neighboring Thailand.
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.
Jungle parties
On Thursday, the hostel was unreachable, no longer accepting reservations on specialized websites, while its Instagram and Facebook pages were deactivated.
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced for its part that “two Danish citizens died in Laos”without specifying their identities or the causes of death. “For reasons of personal integrity, the ministry has no further comments”he wrote in a press release.
According to the media ABC Newsthey are two young women in their twenties. The US State Department also confirmed the “US citizen dies in Vang Vieng, Laos”specifying that he “was closely monitoring the situation and providing consular assistance”. He also did not provide details on the date or cause of death.
British media reported that a British woman was hospitalized in Bangkok after drinking alcohol in Vang Vieng. And the New Zealand embassy in Bangkok said it had been contacted by one of its nationals “who was not feeling well and could be the victim of methanol poisoning in Laos”.
Vang Vieng, in Vientiane province in northwestern Laos, is popular among young people who enjoy backpacking trips and adventure sports. The city, once notorious for the bad behavior of young tourists at jungle parties, has recently revived its reputation as an ecotourism destination.
In their travel advice, the authorities of several Western countries warn their nationals of the risks of methanol poisoning when consuming alcohol in Laos.
The British Foreign Office reports “deaths and serious illnesses caused by alcoholic beverages containing methanol”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.
In August, six people died and around 20 were hospitalized in Thailand after drinking contraband alcohol containing methanol.
