Four Dead in Mass Poisoning of Tourists in Laos

Australian teenager and an unnamed American man have become the third and fourth tourist to have died in a suspected mass poisoning in Laos. 19-year-old Bianca Jones' family confirmed her death to the media only hours after the U.S. State Department announced that an American man died in the tourist town of Vang Vieng. Two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, also died last week in Laos, Danish authorities confirmed, declining to share more due to confidentiality concerns.

The deaths remain under police investigation, but news reports and testimonies online from other tourists suggest they may have consumed drinks laced with methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol. Vang Vieng is a small, riverside town in central Laos and a hub for young Westerners backpacking across Southeast Asia. It's home to the Banana Pancake Trail - a popular backpacking route spanning Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Jones's friend Holly Bowles is in hospital on life support, while a British woman is also reportedly in hospital. New Zealand's foreign ministry told local media that one of its citizens was also unwell from suspected methanol poisoning. And the Netherlands' foreign affairs ministry said that a Dutch tourist was sent to the hospital but is in stable condition. It is unclear how many others have fallen ill.

The State Department said it was "closely monitoring" the situation with regards to the American victim, adding that it was up to local authorities to determine the cause of death.  Australian, New Zealand, and U.K. authorities have each warned their citizens to be careful of methanol poisoning when consuming alcohol in Laos.

Nana Backpacker Hostel, where the two Australian women stayed in Vang Vieng is closed for police investigation.  The hostel’s manager told the Associated Press that the two women were among more than 100 guests who received free shots of Lao vodka from the hostel. The pair then headed out for the night, he said, adding that no other guests reported health issues. The manager said he hoped the investigation would clear the hostel’s name, but said they have stopped giving free shots for now.

Unlike ethanol, the key component of alcoholic beverages, methanol is toxic to humans. Bootleg liquor producers sometimes add it to their drinks, however, as a cheap way to increase alcohol content.  Earlier this year, at least 57 people in India died after consuming methanol-laced liquor. Similar cases of mass poisoning have also been reported across the world, from the Philippines to Peru. It has hospitalised and even killed dozens in Indonesia over the years, but it has rarely affected tourists.