The Laos government said on Saturday it was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of foreign tourists in Vang Vieng, bringing the death toll from a suspected methanol poisoning incident to six.
Two Danish nationals, an American, a Briton and two Australians have now died after being taken to hospital after spending the night in backpacker hot spot Vang Vieng.
They were among a group of about a dozen foreigners who fell ill and were taken to hospital soon after on November 12.
In a statement on its website, Laos’ foreign ministry said Saturday that it expressed its “sincere sympathy and deep condolences to the families of the deceased”, and that an investigation was ongoing.
Australian Holly Bowles, 19, became the latest fatality from the incident on Friday, when she died surrounded by family in a hospital in Bangkok.
Canberra is pressing Laotian authorities to conduct a full and transparent investigation into what happened.
Vang Vieng has been a attraction on the Southeast Asia backpacker trail since Laos’ secretive communist rulers opened the country to tourism decades ago.
The town was once synonymous with backpackers’ bad behavior at jungle parties, but has since been re-branded as an eco-tourism destination.
Laos tourist police told AFP that the Vietnamese manager of the Nana Backpackers Hostel, where the tourists were staying, has been detained for questioning.
No charges have been filed yet.
Police in Laos could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
Reading Explained: How contaminated alcohol led to the deaths of many tourists in Laos
Alcohol contaminated with methanol, a poisonous alcohol commonly used in industrial and household products such as antifreeze, is being believed to be the cause of the deaths.
It can be mixed with alcohol to increase its potency but this can cause blindness, liver damage and death.
Danish, Australian and British officials issued statements confirming the deaths of their citizens in the week following the incident.
On their travel advice websites, UK and Australian authorities warn their citizens to beware of methanol poisoning when consuming alcohol in Laos.
But in Vang Vieng it appears to be business as usual.
“I heard the news but everything is normal here,” Michael, manager of the Vangvieng Rock Backpacker Rooftop Hostel, told AFP on Friday, asking only to be named.
“The high season is about to start, so we are welcoming more tourists every day.”
“There are still many tourists in the city, and they party,” a receptionist at the Vang Vieng Chill House hostel told AFP.
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