Laos pledges justice after suspected tainted alcohol kills tourists

Australia presses Laotian authorities for a afloat and transparent probe aft the deaths of 2 19-year-old backpackers.

The Laos authorities has pledged to bring the perpetrators to justness pursuing the deaths of respective overseas tourists from consuming tainted alcohol.

An probe was nether mode into the suspected methanol poisoning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said connected Saturday, expressing its condolences to the families.

In a little statement, the ministry said it was “profoundly saddened implicit the nonaccomplishment of lives of overseas tourists” successful the municipality of Vang Vieng, a hotspot for backpackers 130km (80 miles) northbound of the capital, Vientiane.

The authorities are conducting probes “to find causes of the incidental and to bring the perpetrators to justness successful accordance with the law”.

The ministry did not accidental however galore tourists were killed, that accusation coming from overseas governments and a section newspaper, which reported astatine slightest six deaths.

Australian Holly Bowles, 19, died successful a Bangkok infirmary connected Friday, a time aft 19-year-old Australian Bianca Jones died successful a infirmary besides successful the Thai capital.

Australia is pressing Laotian authorities for a afloat and transparent probe into what happened.

The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said lawyer Simone White, 28, died and it was successful interaction with section authorities successful Laos.

The Laotian Times paper reported that 2 Danish citizens and a United States nationalist were among the victims of the wide poisoning incident.

They were among a radical of astir a twelve foreigners who fell sick and were rushed to infirmary soon aft November 12.

Citing the authorities connected Saturday, the paper identified the Danish women aged 20 and 21, saying they died astatine a infirmary successful Vientiane connected November 13.

Two Australian nationals who were evacuated to Thailand for attraction died astatine a infirmary successful Bangkok [Chanakarn Laosarakham/AFP]

The US Department of State said a antheral had died successful the aforesaid town. He was recovered by unit unresponsive successful his country with respective bottles of alcohol, according to The Laotian Times.

In a statement, the US embassy successful Vientiane said connected Friday that it was “aware of a fig of cases of suspected methanol poisoning” successful Vang Vieng, “possibly done the depletion of methanol-laced alcoholic drinks”.

It advised its citizens to “be alert” to the imaginable hazard of methanol poisoning, adding that alcoholic beverages should lone beryllium bought from “licensed” dealers.

Vang Vieng has been a fixture connected the Southeast Asia backpacker trail since the authorities opened Laos to tourism decades ago.

The Vietnamese manager of the Nana Backpackers Hostel wherever the tourists were staying has been detained for questioning, tourer constabulary told the AFP quality agency. But nary charges person been filed truthful far.

Alcohol tainted with methanol, which is usually utilized successful concern and household products similar antifreeze, is suspected to beryllium the origin of the deaths.

It tin beryllium added to liquor to summation its potency but tin origin blindness, liver harm and death.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies