A second Australian teenager who became seriously ill after drinking adulterated alcohol in Laos He died in a hospital Bangkokhis family reported on Friday, bringing the number of deaths in the poisoning incident to six.
Holly Bowles19, was in serious condition on life support after becoming intoxicated with adulterated alcohol from Laos more than a week ago.
“We are very sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace.”his family said in a statement sent to Australian network Network 10 and other Australian media. “We find comfort and relief knowing that Holly brought so much joy and happiness to so many people.”
An officer from the Vang Vieng Tourist Police office, who declined to give his name, told The Associated Press on Friday that he had stopped “a number of people” in the case, but that charges had not yet been filed. The staff of Nana Backpacker Hostelwhich was still operating but was not accepting new guests, confirmed that the manager and owner were among those to be questioned.
Tourist police offices are common in Southeast Asia and are established specifically to assist in incidents involving tourists and other foreigners.
He United States Department of State issued a health alert on Friday for citizens traveling in Laos, warning of “suspected methanol poisoning in Vang Viengpossibly through the consumption of alcoholic beverages contaminated with methanol,” following similar alerts from other countries whose citizens were involved.
Australia’s prime minister announced on Thursday that a 19-year-old citizen, Bianca Joneshad died in a Thai hospital where she had been evacuated for emergency treatment, and that her friend—Bowles—remained in a hospital “fighting for her life.” A 28-year-old British woman Simone Whitealso died of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos, the British Foreign Office.
An American and two Danish tourists also died, although no specific details about the cause of the deaths have been released.
He New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs said one of its citizens became ill in Laos and was a possible victim of methanol poisoning.
Laos is a one-party communist state with no organized opposition and the government maintains strict control over information. In this case, officials have released almost no details.
The Foreign Office has declined to comment, and in Vang Vieng The small hospital where some of the victims are believed to have been treated initially referred all questions to the town’s health office on the hospital grounds. Town health officials declined to comment, saying they lacked the proper permit.
Methanol is sometimes added to mixed drinks in disreputable bars as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but it can cause severe poisoning or death. It’s also a byproduct of poorly distilled home liquors, and could have inadvertently found its way into bar drinks.
A landlocked country, Laos is one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia and a popular tourist destination. Vang Vieng is particularly popular with backpackers looking for parties and extreme sports.
(With information from AP)
