British lawyer Simon White also dies
Death toll rises to 5 people
Five foreign tourists died after drinking alcohol suspected to be mixed with methanol in Laos.
On the 21st (local time), according to BBC and others, the UK Foreign Office announced that Simon White (28), a lawyer from southeast London, had died. The UK Foreign Office added, "We are supporting the family of the woman who died in Laos" and "are in contact with local authorities."
White was one of 12 tourists who visited Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos, on the 12th. It is known that the tourists drank alcohol provided by the hostel. However, afterwards, Bianca Jones (19) from Australia, two Danes, and one American complained of abdominal pain and were taken to the hospital but eventually died. With the death of Simon White, the total number of deaths rose to five. Also, Bianca's friend Holly Bowles (19) is reportedly on life support in a hospital in Bangkok.
Methanol was detected in the alcohol they consumed. Methanol is a colorless, flammable industrial liquid used for industrial purposes. Although methanol is fatal to humans, it has a smell similar to ethanol, so it is often used in the production of counterfeit alcohol. Methanol poisoning can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, and can lead to hyperventilation and respiratory distress. Since as little as 25 ml of methanol can be fatal, caution is necessary. Regarding this incident, the Laos police have detained the manager of the hostel where they stayed for investigation.
BBC stated, "Methanol poisoning has long been a well-known problem in Southeast Asia, especially in poor countries along the Mekong River basin," and added, "Foreign governments issue warnings about drinking in such places, but awareness among backpackers is still lacking."
Regarding this incident, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "We have updated travel advice for Laos to inform that there have been several suspected cases of methanol poisoning after drinking certain types of alcohol." They continued, "We urge travelers to be cautious when consuming alcoholic beverages, especially cocktails and drinks made with alcohol that may be mixed with harmful substances."
Meanwhile, the Facebook and Instagram pages of the hostel where the incident occurred are inactive, and they are no longer accepting reservations. Penny Wong, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, emphasized that the surge in drinking and methanol poisoning around the world is "too common" and stressed, "We must work to ensure that such tragedies never happen again."
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