4 tourists die from methanol tainted alcohol in Laos
Nov 22, 2024
Vientiane [Laos], November 22: Four foreign tourists have died of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos, officials said on Thursday.
Among the dead were an Australian woman, two Danish citizens and a US citizen.
A group of around a dozen tourists fell ill after a night out on November 12 in the town of Vang Vieng, some 130 kilometers (81 miles) north of the capital, Vientiane.
Vang Vieng is a popular destination for backpackers traveling through Southeast Asia.
An Australian tourist had been taken to hospital in Thailand in the incident and was confirmed dead by Australia's head of government on Thursday.
"Tragically, Biana Jones has lost her life. Our first thoughts at this moment are with her family and friends who are grieving a terrible and cruel loss," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in Parliament.
A second Australian tourist was in critical condition, Albanese added. Her father told Australia's Channel Nine broadcaster that she was on "life support" in a hospital in the Thai capital of Bangkok.
Laos police told the AFP news agency they detained the Vietnamese manager of the Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng, where the two Australian tourists had been staying.
Source: Times of Oman
