The family of a teenager has confirmed that she is the sixth tourist to have died after drinking suspected methanol poisoned alcohol in Laos.
Australian teen Holly Bowles, 19, had been in a critical condition in hospital in Bangkok for days following the poisoning in Laos more than a week ago. Her family released a statement, read aloud by Australian broadcaster Network 10, which said: “We are so sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace.”
This comes after her friend, Bianca Jones, also 19, died earlier this week, alongside British woman Simone White, 28, an American man and two Danish tourists, following reports that several people had become ill in a Laotian town popular with backpackers.
Laotian police earlier detained the manager and owner of a hostel involved in the case, with an officer at Vang Vieng’s Tourism Police office confirming that a “number of people” had been detained in the case, but no charges have been filed yet.
The manager and owner were among those taken in for questioning, confirmed by staff at the Nana Backpacker Hostel, which is still operating but not accepting new guests.
The US State Department issued a health alert for citizens traveling in Laos, warning of “suspected methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng, possibly through the consumption of methanol-laced alcoholic drinks”, following similar alerts from other countries whose citizens were involved.
The Foreign Ministry has refused to comment, and in Vang Vieng, the small hospital where some of the victims are believed to have been treated initially, referred all questions to the town’s health office on the hospital grounds. The town health officials refused to comment, saying they lacked proper permission.
Sometimes added to mixed drinks at disreputable bars as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but methanol can cause severe poisoning or death. It is also a by-product of poorly distilled homebrewed liquor, and could have found its way into bar drinks inadvertently.
Laos is one of south-east Asia’s poorest nations and a popular tourist destination, particularly among backpackers seeking partying and adventure sports. However, Neil Farmiloe, a New Zealander who owns the Kiwi Kitchen restaurant in town, said a lot of his customers were very worried about the incident.
“I think it’s never happened before, so it is hopefully just a one-off incident,” said Mr Farmiloe, who has lived in Vang Vieng for 20 years. “It’s very sad all around. I’m sure nobody intended to cause injury, but it’s happened.”
It has been over a week since the two 19-year-old Australian women fell ill on November 13 following a night out drinking with a group. They failed to check out from the Nana Backpacker Hostel as planned and were found sick in their room and then taken to Thailand for emergency treatment.
Thai authorities confirmed earlier that 19-year-old Australian Ms Jones had died by “brain swelling due to high levels of methanol found in her system”.
Duong Duc Toan, the manager of the Nana Backpacker Hostel, said the day before he was detained that the two Australian women had joined other guests for free shots of Laotian vodka on the night in question, before heading elsewhere and returning in the early hours of the morning.
New Zealand’s Foreign Ministry said one of its citizens became ill in Laos and was a possible victim of methanol poisoning.
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