Six foreign tourists have died from suspected methanol poisoning after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos. Bianca Jones, 19, and Holly Bowles, 19, from Australia were taken to hospital after failing to check out of their hostel. Bianca died last week and, since then, Holly, Simone White from south-east London, and three other tourists, one US man and two Danish women, have passed away from the suspected poisoning. The alcohol was allegedly bootleg alcohol laced with methanol, a substance found in home-distilled alcohol.
Holly’s family confirmed her death over a week after she fell ill in the Vang Vieng tourist town and said they were taking comfort from the fact that she brought joy and happiness to so many people. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed sympathy to the family and friends of the Australian teenager. It is not yet clear where any of the tourists were poisoned.
Methanol is like the alcohol in drinks, colourless and odourless, but even a small amount of it can be deadly as it is cheaper than alcohol. Addiction to home distillation and the lack of official drinks are suspected reasons for bootleg alcohol laced with methanol. Methanol has a carbon atom structure that changes how humans process it in the body, leading to the fatal consequences.
The Nana Backpacker Hostel, where the Australian teenagers were staying, said it gave free shots to approximately 100 guests the previous evening but the hostel’s manager told Associated Press that no other guests had become unwell. Police have detained the manager of the hostel for questioning about the incident. Vang Vieng is a bustling hub for backpackers travelling across south-east Asia, and it’s a popular backpacking route for Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia visitors
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