At least four foreign tourists have died in the Laotian backpacker town of Vang Vieng, government officials and media said Thursday, with suspected poisoning from adulterated alcohol containing methanol.
The victims are two Danes, an Australian and an American, according to their respective governments, which did not specify the causes of death.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced in Parliament that 19-year-old Australian woman Bianca Jones had died, while another young woman of the same age, Holly Bowles, "is fighting for her life".
The latter was hospitalized in intensive care in Bangkok, declared her father, Shaun Bowles, to the Australian television channel Nine News.
According to British and Australian media reports, a group of about a dozen tourists fell ill after a party in Vang Vieng on November 12. Several were hospitalized in neighboring Thailand.
The two Australian women, originally from Melbourne, began feeling unwell at the Nana Backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng where they were staying, according to Australian media.
They drank at the hostel bar before going out for the evening, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported. They failed to leave their room on November 13 as planned and hostel staff rushed them to hospital.
– Jungle Parties –
As of Thursday, the hostel was unreachable, no longer accepting reservations on specialist websites, and its Instagram and Facebook pages were deactivated.
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that "two Danish citizens have died in Laos," without specifying their identities or the causes of death. "For reasons of personal integrity, the ministry has no further comments," it wrote in a statement.
According to ABC News, they are two young women in their twenties.
The US State Department also confirmed the "death of a US citizen in Vang Vieng, Laos," saying it was "closely monitoring the situation and providing consular assistance." It also did not provide details on the date or cause of death.
A British media outlet reported a British woman hospitalised in Bangkok after drinking alcohol in Vang Vieng. And the New Zealand embassy in Bangkok said it had been contacted by one of its nationals "who was feeling unwell and may have suffered methanol poisoning in Laos".
Vang Vieng, in Vientiane Province in northwestern Laos, is popular among young backpackers and adventure sports enthusiasts. The town, once notorious for the misbehavior of young tourists at jungle parties, has recently re-established its reputation as an ecotourism destination.
In their travel advice, the authorities of several Western countries warn their nationals of the risks of methanol poisoning when consuming alcohol in Laos.
The British Foreign Office reports "cases of death and serious illness caused by alcoholic drinks containing methanol", mainly counterfeits of well-known brands of vodka or local spirits.
Methanol is an alcohol used in the manufacture of antifreeze, windshield washer fluid, varnish, and copier fluid. It can be added to other alcohols to increase their potency or reduce their cost, but it can cause blindness, liver damage, and death.
In August, six people died and about 20 were hospitalized in Thailand after drinking bootleg alcohol containing methanol.
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