A second Australian teenager has died after drinking suspected tainted alcohol in Laos.
Several people, including the manager and owner of a hostel, have been detained by police after at least six tourists died in a suspected mass methanol poisoning in the popular backpacker town of Vang Vieng.
Holly Bowles, 19, was travelling around South-East Asia with her friend, Bianca Jones, 19, who has also died.
Both had been on life support in a hospital in neighbouring Thailand after being evacuated from Laos.
The two women fell ill after reportedly consuming a drink containing methanol – a highly toxic substance.
A statement from Bowles family said they were “incredibly proud” of Holly.
“We find comfort and solace in knowing that Holly bought so much joy and happiness to so many people.
“Holly was living her best life travelling through South-East Asia meeting new friends and enjoying incredible experiences.
“As her parents we were always so incredibly proud of everything Holly did. Holly was an amazing big sister to James and she always looked out for him.”
Simone White, a 28-year-old lawyer from Orpington, Kent, is also among those confirmed to have died.
The British Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said it is supporting Simone’s family and that it is “in contact with the local authorities”, while the Embassy of Laos in London said “the process of investigation by the authorities concerned is still going on”.
Two Danish women and an American tourist have also died, while at least five other British travellers have reportedly been hospitalised.
The Danish and American authorities have not provided any further details as to the causes of death or their identities.
New Zealand’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that one of its citizens was also unwell in Laos and could be a victim of methanol poisoning.
Staff at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, where the two Australian backpackers were staying, confirmed that the manager and owner were among those taken in for questioning.
Holly and Bianca were staying at the hostel when they fell ill on November 13, following a night out with a group in Vang Vieng.
At some point in the night, the women are believed to have been served drinks containing methanol, but it is unclear where.
Methanol is a tasteless and odourless substance, and substantial exposure to it can be deadly.
It attacks the body by making the blood more acidic when consumed for instance in a drink, toxicology expert Professor Alistair Hay from the University of Leeds said on Friday.
“That has major consequences for many, many organ systems, particularly the kidneys and the lungs. And it’s that acidotic process that is the difficult one for clinicians to deal with and which is a major problem for the individual,” Professor Hay said.
It is often found in counterfeit replicas of known alcohol brands or illegal local spirits, according to the UK government website.
Hostel staff were alerted to the women being unwell after they failed to check out.
Two days before check-out, the women had joined more than 100 other guests for free shots of Lao vodka offered by the hostel as a gesture of hospitality, the hostel manager said.
Staff said no other guest reported any issue, adding that the women had then gone for a night out, returning in the early hours of the morning.
The UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have updated their travel advice for tourists in Laos, urging people to take care if offered, or when buying, spirit-based drinks.
Investigations into the suspected methanol poisoning are ongoing by local authorities.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
