in Laos, six tourists die from adulterated alcohol poisoning

A second Australian woman, 19, died on Friday in a hospital in Thailand, bringing to six the number of tourists who died after being victims, according to British and Australian media, of adulterated alcohol poisoning in Laos. The other victims are two Danes, an Englishwoman and an American, their respective governments said. They died, according to several media, following a drunken trip to Vang Vieng, a town in Laos popular with backpackers, north of the capital Vientiane.

Originally from Melbourne, the young Australian was traveling with her best friend, who died in the same circumstances, after staying in a youth hostel in Vang Vieng. “All Australians will be heartbroken to learn of the tragic death of Holly Bowles” at a hospital in Bangkok, neighboring Thailand, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. “Holly had just lost her best friend, Bianca Jones, yesterday. All Australians think of these two families.she added.

An open investigation, a man in police custody

Canberra demanded an investigation from Laos “complete and transparent” on the circumstances of these two deaths. The Laotian government said in a statement on Saturday “deeply saddened by the death of foreign tourists”its express “sincere sympathy” and presenting its “condolences to the families of the deceased”. He said an investigation was underway. “to determine the causes of the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice”. In Laos, the Vietnamese manager of the youth hostel was taken into custody, Laotian tourist police said. No charges have been filed at this stage.

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According to several media, an entire group of a dozen tourists fell ill on November 12 in Vang Vieng. The British Foreign Office only indicated “support the family of a British woman who died in Laos”. British media identified her as Simone White, a 28-year-old lawyer from Kent in southeast England. Her parents described her as a “beautiful, kind and loving girl”according to the British news agency PA. “Simone was one of a kind and possessed the most wonderful energy and spark of life.” The Danish and American governments have not specified the cause of the deaths of their nationals.

The two Australians started feeling unwell at the Nana Backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng where they were staying, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The two women had consumed alcohol at the establishment's bar before going out, this Australian newspaper said. Still according to Australian media, on November 13, hostel staff, alerted because they had not left as planned, found them in their room and immediately transported them to hospital.

“They are partying”

Since communist Laos opened up to tourism, Vang Vieng has been a popular city for backpackers visiting Southeast Asia. It became a place for wild parties organized in the jungle, before reestablishing its name as an ecotourism destination. “I heard the news but everything is normal here”commented to AFP Michael, the Vietnamese manager of another hostel in Vang Vieng, the Rock Backpacker Rooftop Hostel. “We are entering the high season, there are more tourists every day”added this manager, wishing to be identified only by his first name. “There are always a lot of tourists in town and they party”the receptionist at another hostel, the Vang Vieng Chill House Hostel, told AFP.

Methanol, a toxic alcohol used in industry and household products, is used in particular to make antifreeze or windshield washer fluid, varnish or fluid for photocopiers. It can be added to other alcohols to increase potency or to cost less. Its ingestion can cause blindness, liver damage and death. The British and Australian authorities are also warning their nationals against the risks of methanol poisoning in their travel advice regarding Laos.

In Thailand, at least six people died and more than 20 others were hospitalized in August after consuming alcohol adulterated with methanol.