British woman dies in suspected methanol poisoning in Laos, taking death toll to five

LONDON: A British woman who fell ill after drinking contaminated alcohol in Laos has died, the fifth foreign national now suspected to have died in the incident.
British media reported on Thursday (Nov 21) that 28-year-old Simone White, a lawyer from southeast London, was among the tourists who died after consuming drinks laced with methanol, a toxic alcohol.
“We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Laos, and we are in contact with the local authorities,” Britain’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Four other tourists – an Australian, two Danes and an American – have died in the incident in Vang Vieng, a town in the Southeast Asian nation popular with foreign backpackers.
One young Australian woman was confirmed dead, and her friend was fighting for her life, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Two Danish citizens and an American had also died, officials said, after what media described as a night out in Vang Vieng where they drank possibly tainted alcohol.
The group of about a dozen tourists became ill after going out on Nov 12, according to British and Australian media.
“Tragically, Bianca Jones has lost her life,” Australia’s Albanese told parliament. “Our first thoughts at this moment are with her family and friends who are grieving a terrible and cruel loss.”
Jones’ friend Holly Bowles, also 19, is in critical condition in hospital, Albanese said.
She was on “life support” in a hospital in Bangkok, her father Shaun Bowles told Australia’s Nine News on Wednesday.
Denmark’s foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday that two Danish citizens had died in Laos, without providing further information.
The Vietnamese manager of the Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng, where Australian media said the two Australian women were staying, has been detained for questioning, the Laos tourist police told AFP.
No charges have been made as police are still “investigating”, an official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The US State Department also confirmed the death of a US citizen in Vang Vieng, Laos and said it was “closely monitoring the situation and providing consular assistance”.
It did not give details on the date or cause of death.
New Zealand’s embassy in Bangkok said it had been contacted by one of its citizens “who was unwell and may be a victim of methanol poisoning in Laos”.
Bianca Jones’ bereaved family said in a statement to Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper that they “are comforted by the knowledge that her incredible spirit touched so many lives during her time with us”.
“The kindness shown to our family during this unimaginable time has been truly humbling.”
Vang Vieng has been a fixture on the Southeast Asia backpacker trail since Laos’ secretive communist rulers opened the country to tourism decades ago.
The town was once notorious for backpackers behaving badly at jungle parties and has since rebranded as an eco-tourism destination.
On their travel advice websites for Laos, UK, Australia and New Zealand authorities warn their citizens to beware of methanol poisoning while consuming alcohol in the country.
Methanol can be added to liquor to increase its potency, but can cause blindness, liver damage and death.
In neighbouring Thailand, at least six people died and more than 20 were hospitalised after drinking methanol-laced bootleg alcohol in August.
Bowles and Jones, both aged 19 from Melbourne, became unwell while staying at Vang Vieng’s Nana Backpackers Hostel last week, Australian media reported.
The women drank at the hostel’s bar before they went out for the evening, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
They failed to check out on Nov 13, when hostel staff rushed the pair to the hospital.
The Facebook and Instagram pages of the hostel had been deactivated as of Thursday and it was no longer taking bookings on websites.
AFP was unable to reach the hostel for comment.