Two teen girls have been left in serious conditions and hospitalised after drinking a poisoned cocktail at a popular holiday destination.
The teenagers, believed to be 19, were enjoying their dream trip of travelling through Southeast Asia when tragedy struck at their hostel in Udon Thani, Thailand. The Mirror reports that the Australian women initially became unwell after drinking alcohol while near the well-known Laos border.
According to Melbourne radio station 3AW Drive, one of the ladies had been flown to a hospital in Bangkok in serious condition. Her father spoke to host Jacqui Felgate and said she was in “grave” condition. The host commented: “I think it’s one of those stories where if you have teenage kids, you go home and hug them a little tighter.”
The two victims were travelling with a larger group of about ten other women who also went to the vacation destination. Methanol, a less expensive substitute for ethanol, was reportedly added to the drinks.
Methanol is intentionally added to alcoholic beverages in suspected nations with excessive ethanol taxes. According to the Methanol Institute, just 25–90 millilitres of methanol can be considered lethal.
A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told News AU: “The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to two Australians and their families in Thailand. Our thoughts are with them at this deeply distressing time. Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.”
An alert was earlier issued to a backpacking Facebook group for the area. One tourist said their friends dropped ill after being given “free shots” in Vang Vieng, a popular tourist town in Laos. The tourist said: “Urgent, please avoid all local spirits.
“Our group stayed in Van Vieng and we drank free shots offered by one of the bars. Just avoid them as so not worth it. 6 of us who drank from the place are in hospital currently with methanol poisoning.”
They added: “Personally I was very fatigued and then fainted. I just felt nauseous and then my liver started to shut down. I got to the private hospital in time but underwent many infusions and tablets and days of recovery.”
Symptoms of methanol poisoning
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Breathing difficulty
- Blindness
- Seizures
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