Laos hostel worker started 'massaging' poisoning victim's feet after she had seizure

Six tourists, including a British woman, person died pursuing a suspected methanol poisoning astatine the Nana Backpackers Hostel, which has since been unopen down by police

A Laos hostel worker allegedly started "massaging" a poisoning victim's feet aft she started to person a seizure - claiming she was lone having a "panic attack."

Six tourists, including a British woman, person died pursuing a suspected methanol poisoning astatine the Nana Backpackers Hostel, which has since been unopen down by police. The victims, Simone White, 28, from the UK, Danish women Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, American antheral James Louis Hutson, 57, and Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, some 19, were each staying astatine the Nana Backpackers Hostel.

According to a section media report, it is alleged the hostel did not telephone an ambulance adjacent erstwhile 1 of the Danish women was having a seizure. It is alleged a idiosyncratic massaged the woman’s toes and feet, saying that it was lone a panic attack: “‘I’m redeeming her, don’t worry’.”

A traveller from Europe, who is travelling done Southeast Asia and claims he's friends with immoderate of the victims, made an online study of what helium found, according to Australian quality outlet news.com.au. He has since carried retired his ain tiny survey of 20 radical and said of the radical helium asked 14 had themselves fallen sick oregon cognize idiosyncratic who fell sick portion staying astatine the hostel.

Eight unit aged betwixt 23 and 44, of the Nana Backpacker Hostel successful Vang Vieng person been arrested pursuing an probe into the wide poisonings. Brit Simone White, from Orpington, Kent, fell sick earlier this period aft reportedly drinking "free shots" from a section barroom and aboriginal tragically died. The 28-year-old's parents said they were "devastated by the nonaccomplishment of our beautiful, benignant and loving daughter".

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said connected Monday that Australia had offered to enactment authorities successful Laos successful the investigation, including done the assistance of the Australian Federal Police.

Mr Albanese said Australian officials would enactment intimately with their planetary counterparts “to co-ordinate approaches” successful an effort to forestall different “tragic incident” similar this occurring again. He said: “We privation to enactment with different governments based upon this acquisition to spot whether immoderate enactment tin beryllium taken. Obviously it is simply a sovereign nation, Laos, but I cognize they are devastated arsenic are the governments of different countries who person been impacted by this.”

The Laotian authorities has promised to bring the perpetrators to justice, saying the federation was “profoundly saddened implicit the nonaccomplishment of lives of overseas tourists”. The connection read: “The authorities of the Lao PDR has been conducting investigations to find causes of the incidental and to bring the perpetrators to justness successful accordance with the law."

A spokesperson for the hostel said it bought the intoxicant from a certified distributor and insisted it had not been tainted by hostel staff. They told the Associated Press: “Right present the constabulary (are telling) each hostel and edifice and barroom to halt selling drinks successful Vang Vieng.”