A sixth young tourist has died in Laos of suspected mass alcohol poisoning

A second young Australian tourist died in a Thai hospital on Friday, increasing the death toll following suspected methanol poisoning during a night out in a Thai hospital. Laos backpacker hotspot until six.

Two Danish citizens, an American and a Briton, also died after what the media described as a night in the adventure city Vang Vieng.

According to British and Australian media, several tourists fell ill after leaving on November 12.

“All Australians will be devastated by the tragic death of Holly Bowles,” said Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong said in a statement.

“Just yesterday Holly lost her best friend, Bianca Jones.”

“I know all Australians will hold both families in their hearts tonight,” the Foreign Secretary added.

Australian officials are now pressing Lao authorities to conduct a full and transparent investigation into what happened.

In a brief statement released to the media, the Lao government said it was “deeply saddened by the deaths of foreign tourists” in Vang Vieng and expressed its “sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.”

“The government of Lao PDR is investigating to find the causes of the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law,” it said.

Backpacking trail

Vang Vieng has been a fixture on the Southeast Asian tourist trail since Laos’ secret communist rulers opened the country to tourism decades ago.

The town was once synonymous with tourists behaving badly at jungle parties and has since rebranded itself as an ecotourism destination.

“I heard the news, but everything is fine here,” Michael, a Vietnamese manager at Vangvieng Rock Backpacker Rooftop Hostel, told AFP, asking to use only one name.

“The season will start soon, so we are receiving more and more tourists every day.”

“There are still a lot of tourists in the city partying,” a receptionist at the Vang Vieng Chill House hostel told AFP.

Australian media reported that Bowles and Jones, both 19 from Melbourne, became unwell while staying at the Nana Backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the women were drinking in the hostel bar before going out for the evening.

They had not checked out on November 13 when hostel staff took the couple to hospital.

The Vietnamese manager of the Nana Backpackers hostel was detained for questioning, Laos tourist police told AFP.

However, no charges were brought.

The Lao Tourist Police could not be reached for comment on Friday.

The deceased British woman’s name is Simone White, 28.

According to the British news agency PA, her parents described her as a “beautiful, kind and loving daughter.”

“Simone was one of a kind and had the most wonderful energy and spark of life,” they said.

White was an attorney at the global law firm Squire Patton Boggs, who said she “was a talented colleague with a bright future ahead of her.”

The United States did not provide details about its citizens who died.

Casper Soetekouw, spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said he was “aware of serious reports from Laos” and was contacting through the Dutch honorary consul.

He added that “earlier this week, the Dutch woman was in hospital” and “fortunately” was discharged home.

It is suspected that the cause of death was alcohol contaminated with methanol.

Methanol is a toxic alcohol used in industrial and household products such as antifreeze, copier fluids, de-icers, paint thinners, varnishes and wiper fluids.

Methanol can be added to alcohol to increase its strength, but it can cause blindness, liver damage and death.

On their Laos travel advice websites, UK and Australian authorities warn their citizens to beware of methanol poisoning when drinking alcohol in Laos.

In neighboring Thailand, at least six people died and more than 20 were hospitalized after drinking illicit alcohol laced with methanol in August.

(FRANCE 24 from AFP)