“Heart rate at 170, loss of sight and death, a tragedy”: the vodka was adulterated, six deaths and several hospitalizations in a tourist bar in Asia

A series of tragic poisonings at a hostel has left six tourists dead and many others seriously ill. The victims are said to have consumed methanol-contaminated vodka at Nana Backpackers, an establishment popular with backpackers in Vang Vieng, Laos.

Victims from all over the world

Among the dead are two young Australian women, Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both aged 19. Bianca died on Thursday, followed by her friend Holly, who died on Friday. Bianca’s family confirmed that the young woman was poisoned while staying at the hostel. Local authorities also recorded four other deaths: Simone White, a 28-year-old British lawyer, two Danish women and James Hutson, a 57-year-old American. A New Zealander is among ten other people hospitalized after consuming alcohol served at the establishment.

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Death of tourists poisoned in Laos: adulterated alcohol, “condolences” from the government, investigation… what we know about the tragedy

Vodka shots offered to a hundred people

According to witnesses, Nana Backpackers offered free vodka shots to more than 100 customers on the evening when the symptoms were first reported. The Vientiane Times reports that the hostel managers have been detained for questioning. Toan, a bartender working at the establishment, told police the vodka came from a factory and had not been adulterated. To prove his good faith, he even had a drink in the presence of the investigators.

A British backpacker, who drank two free vodka shots at Nana Backpackers on November 9, described suffering temporary blindness and an abnormally high heart rate of 170 beats per minute. A saline drip and anti-nausea medication eventually allowed him to recover. Bethany Clarke, a British tourist hospitalized with Simone White, revealed on social media that her liver had started to shut down, requiring several days of intensive treatment.

An affair of state

In an official statement on Saturday, the Lao government expressed its sadness and condolences to the families of the victims. He promised to bring those responsible to justice and launched an investigation to establish the precise causes of these serial poisonings.

Methanol poisoning is a recurring phenomenon in certain countries, where adulterated alcohol is sometimes mixed with local drinks. The death of James Hutson, found unconscious in his room at Nana Backpackers on November 13, underlines the scale of this tragedy. According to police, empty bottles of vodka and beer were found nearby. Authorities are calling for caution when consuming local alcohol and are continuing their investigations to prevent such tragedies from happening again.