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Police in Laos have detained the manager of a backpacker hostel in Vang Vieng as well as seven of its staff after the deaths of six tourists in a suspected mass methanol poisoning.
Two Danish citizens, an American, a Briton and two Australians died after becoming ill after a night out in the small riverside town. A third Australian, a dual national, also fell ill, and is understood to be in a stable condition.
The Laos Post reported on Tuesday that police had detained the 34-year-old manager of the Nana backpackers hostel and seven other employees for questioning. All those detained were Vietnamese nationals, according to local media.
The Laos government promised “to bring the perpetrators to justice” and expressed “sincere sympathy and deepest condolences” to the families of those who died in a statement on Saturday, its first acknowledgement of the deaths. Laos, a one-party communist state where the media is tightly controlled, has given very limited information about the case.
Vang Vieng, which is in central Laos and surrounded by limestone mountains, is a popular destination for young travellers. It was once known as a raucous party spot, famous for “tubing”, whereby visitors rode on large inner tubes down the Nam Song River, stopping off at bars along the way. The town has since rebranded and now attracts a wider range of visitors, though it continues to draw backpackers from around the world.
Its streets are still lively, despite recent events, with bars blasting out music and groups of young tourists thronging on the pavements. People are partying – but they are being more careful about what they’re drinking, said Talia, 22, from Israel, who asked to give just her first name. “It was the day I came here [that news of the deaths was reported] … everybody sent me the links,” she said, adding that she initially felt anxious.
“I’ve been to tons of parties all around – in Thailand, India – and people gave me a drink, and I drank it. I didn’t think it was a thing,” she said. “I was really lucky to not be at that party. I could have been at that party,” she added.
Talia and her friend Ori, like many, are now careful only to drink from closed bottles that they can trust, they said. “I don’t drink that much but now I drink even less,” said Ori. Her mother, she said, panicked when she read the news. “But I’m very careful.” She was still having a good time, she added.
Methanol, which is tasteless and odourless, is sometimes added to liquor by unscrupulous producers and can also be present in homemade spirit that has not been brewed correctly. It can quickly lead to serious illness.
Several governments have issued warnings to travellers visiting Laos over the past week. The UK said tourists should only consume alcoholic drinks from licensed alcohol stores, and “take care if [drinks are] offered, particularly for free, or when buying spirit-based drinks”.
Matius, 25, from Uruguay, who like many other visitors is touring Asian countries, said that the deaths would not put him off visiting Laos. “It’s something that could happen. People don’t expect it, but it’s just [about] being more careful. And the hospital facilities aren’t so good in this country, it’s something to bear in mind. Everyone is a bit more alert.”
The families of the Australian teenagers Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, who died aged 19, have urged the Laos government to investigate the incident to the “fullest extent” to prevent it happening again.
