Laos government 'saddened' by deaths of tourists in Vang Vieng which include South London woman
23 November 2024, 13:45
The government in Laos has said it's "profoundly saddened" by the deaths of six tourists in Vang Vieng, where a methanol poisoning incident took place.
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A statement posted on its ministry of foreign affairs website said it expressed “sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased”.
It added an investigation was under way into the cause of the deaths, but it's thought they had alcohol which had been contaminated with methanol.
One of them was a 28-year-old from Orpington in south-east London.
Methanol is a toxic alcohol that can be added to liquor to increase its potency but it can also lead to blindness, liver damage and death.
Police are continuing to question a hostel owner.
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Six people died following a night out in the popular backpacker destination last week.
A British woman, two Australian teenagers, an American man and two Danish tourists died after becoming ill shortly after 12 November.
19-year-old Holly Bowles died on Friday in a Bangkok hospital, one day after her best friend, Bianca Jones, 19, died in another Thai hospital.
Both were from Melbourne.
Bowles' death was confirmed on Friday, in addition to the death of British lawyer Simone White.
The parents said they were "devastated by the loss of our beautiful, kind and loving daughter."
In a statement, the parents added: “Simone was one of a kind and had the most wonderful energy and spark for life.
"She was a soul who gave so much to so many and was loved by her family, friends and colleagues.
"Simone has been taken from us too soon, she will be sorely missed by her brother, grandmother and entire family.
"Our hearts go out to all other families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.”
The Foreign Office said it was in contact with local authorities regarding the British nationals affected.
Australian officials are pressing the Laotian authorities for a full and transparent investigation into what happened.
Vang Vieng has long been a popular fixture on the south-east Asia backpacking trail after Lao's communist rulers opened up the country to tourism decades ago.
It was once a party destination but has now been revamped as an eco-tourism hotspot.
The Vietnamese manager of the Nana backpacker hostel has been detained for questioning, the Laos tourist police told Agence-France Presse and no charges have been made.
UK and Australian authorities have warned their citizens to be cautious of methanol poisoning when consuming alcohol in Laos.
