Laos government pledges justice in mass alcohol poisoning case that has killed 6 tourists

VANG VIENG, Laos (AP) — The Laotian government on Saturday officially acknowledged the mass poisoning that has killed at least six tourists, promising it would bring perpetrators to justice.

Two Australian teenagers and a British woman died from suspected methanol poisoning after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos. An American man and two Danes also died, though their exact causes of death have not been released. A New Zealander also has been sickened.

In a short statement released to the media, the Lao government said it was “profoundly saddened over the loss of lives of foreign tourists” in the town Vang Vieng and offered its condolences to the families of the victims.

“The Government of the Lao PDR has been conducting investigations to find causes of the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law,” it said.

Laos is a one-party communist state with no organized opposition and the government keeps a tight lid on information. In this case, officials have released almost no details. The police have said they detained a number of people but refused to provide further information.

Details have been murky over the number of tourists affected and the possible source of the methanol-laced drinks.

Methanol is sometimes added to mixed drinks at disreputable bars as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but can cause severe poisoning or death. It is also a byproduct of poorly distilled homebrew liquor, and could have found its way into bar drinks inadvertently.

The U.S. State Department on Friday 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.

Nineteen-year-old Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles died in Thai hospitals on Thursday and Friday respectively after being evacuated from Laos for emergency treatment. Thai authorities confirmed that Jones had died by “brain swelling due to high levels of methanol found in her system.”

Both were found sick in their room at the Nana Backpacker Hostel on Nov. 13 after they failed to check out as planned.

The U.K. Foreign Office named 28-year-old British woman Simone White as another of the victims.

Landlocked Laos is one of Southeast Asia’s poorest nations and a popular tourist destination. Vang Vieng is particularly popular among backpackers seeking partying and adventure sports.