Up to 100 tourists downed shots in Laos bar before Brit Simone White drank ‘deadly methanol’ as tragic timeline emerges

SIX tourists person died aft a suspected 'mass spiking' of alcoholic drinks fixed to holidaymakers successful Laos, South East Asia.

Police person launched a probe and are questioning unit astatine a hostel wherever 100 guests were fixed escaped shots - successful an effort to unravel the tragic case.

It is not wide wherever the allegedly methanol-spiked drinks were consumed - oregon precisely however galore unwell tourists stay successful hospital.

Cops person detained the proprietor and manager of the Nana Backpackers Hostel successful Vang Vieng - a fashionable tourer municipality wherever the incidental happened past week.

Hostel manager and bartender Duong Duc Toan antecedently denied that immoderate drinks served determination could person made the holidaymakers ill.

But helium said that escaped vodka shots were fixed to immoderate 100 guests conscionable hours earlier calamity struck.

British pistillate Simone White, 28, is 1 of the tourists who died successful infirmary this week, on with 2 Australian women some aged 19.

Two unnamed Danish women, successful their 20s, and an unnamed American antheral successful his 50s died successful Vang Vieng.

Those who were poisoned successful the incidental are believed to person been fixed drinks tainted with methanol.

The toxic chemic is sometimes utilized arsenic a cheaper alternate to ethanol, but tin origin terrible poisoning oregon death.

FIRST BOUT OF ILLNESS

Toan said that unit astatine the Nana hostel were told by different guests 2 women had fallen sick past week.

They were alerted erstwhile the Australian women, Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, failed to cheque retired arsenic planned connected Wednesday November 13.

Staff arranged for the women, some 19, to beryllium transported to hospital.

Toan said that they had been among those offered complimentary shots of Lao vodka by the hostel arsenic a motion of hospitality.

They past went connected a nighttime out, helium said, returning successful the aboriginal hours of the pursuing greeting (Wednesday 13).

According to reports, Holly was taken to a infirmary successful Laos superior Vientiane, and Bianca sent to Bangkok Hospital successful Thailand wherever she was enactment connected beingness support.

Bianca died connected Thursday November 21 - with her household saying she was connected a "dream getaway with her champion person Holly".

They said: "It is with the heaviest of hearts that we stock the quality that our beloved girl and sister, Bianca Jones, has passed away.

"She was surrounded by love, and we are comforted by the cognition that her unthinkable tone touched truthful galore lives during her clip with us."

Holly died connected Friday, with her parents besides confirming her passing.

Her dada Shaun told Nine News: "It is with breached hearts, and we are truthful bittersweet to accidental that our beauteous miss Holly is present astatine peace.

"We find comfortableness and solace successful knowing that Holly bought truthful overmuch joyousness and happiness to truthful galore people."

Both families had flown retired to the hospitals to beryllium with their daughters earlier they died.

BRIT WOMAN DIES

 A 28-year-old British woman, Simone White, besides died from suspected methanol poisoning successful Laos, the British Foreign Office said.

The lawyer, from Orpington, Kent, was travelling with person Bethany Clarke who is besides unwell successful hospital.

Bethany posted a chilling connection to the Laos Backpacking Facebook radical past week aft the brace fell ill.

She said: "Urgent — delight debar each section spirits.

"Our radical stayed successful Vang Vieng and we drank escaped shots offered by 1 of the bars.

"Just debar them arsenic truthful not worthy it. Six of america who drank from the aforesaid spot are successful infirmary presently with methanol poisoning."

Bethany added that she was “very fatigued and past fainted, past conscionable felt nauseous and past my liver started to unopen down”.

She continued: "I got to the backstage infirmary successful clip but underwent galore infusions and tablets and days of recovery."

It is not known whether the 2 women were treated astatine the aforesaid hospital.

Simone was confirmed dormant connected Thursday, hours aft Aussie teen Bianca.

The Foreign Office confirmed: "We are supporting the household of a British pistillate who has died successful Laos, and we are successful interaction with the section authorities."

A connection from the instrumentality steadfast wherever Simone worked read: "It is with heavy sadness that we mourn the tragic passing of our beloved person and workfellow Simone White.

"Simone was a talented workfellow with a agleam aboriginal up of her and idiosyncratic who epitomised (our firm’s) values.

"Our thoughts spell retired to each of Simone’s family, friends and those colleagues and clients who had the privilege to enactment with and cognize Simone. She volition beryllium sincerely missed."

HOSPITAL HORROR

Thai constabulary spoke to Reuters aft the decease of Aussie teen Bianca - confirming connected Thursday that she died from "methanol poisoning".

An authoritative said: "The doc who examined her said the origin of decease was a methanol poisoning, from fake liquor.

"The magnitude of methanol successful her assemblage was high, starring to swelling of the brain."

Meanwhile Thai constabulary main Phattanawong Chanphon said of Bianca's death: "She was unconscious ever since she was picked up from Laos and ne'er regained consciousness from then, adjacent arsenic she had received aesculapian care.

"The origin of decease is apt from the depletion of methanol from fake liquor.

"It's poison and cannot beryllium consumed."

Bianca is the lone 1 whose decease has been confirmed arsenic caused by methanol poisoning.

Around 12 different people, including Brits, are believed to inactive beryllium earnestly unwell.

New Zealand's Foreign Ministry said 1 of its citizens was unwell successful Laos and a imaginable unfortunate of methanol poisoning.

POLICE PROBE

On Friday cops detained respective members of unit astatine the hostel - with pictures showing wellness officials checking their documents and questioning unit astatine reception.

An unnamed tourism constabulary serviceman successful Vang Vieng told AP that nary charges had yet been filed.

Staff astatine the hostel past confirmed the manager and proprietor were among those held by police.

Although inactive operating, the venue is not accepting immoderate caller guests.

Police person not yet named those detained for questioning oregon fixed an authoritative remark connected the development.

It is not wholly wide however galore of the affected tourists were staying astatine the hostel - oregon if they each partook successful the escaped shots.

Manager Toan has insisted that immoderate tainted intoxicant was not fixed to them astatine the hostel bar, and that they bargain their products from a certified distributor.

He antecedently told AP "Right present the constabulary [are telling] each hostel and edifice and barroom to halt selling drinks successful Vang Vieng."