Laos pledges justice after suspected tainted alcohol kills tourists

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

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

An investigation was nether measurement into nan suspected methanol poisoning, nan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said connected Saturday, expressing its condolences to nan families.

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

The authorities are conducting probes “to find causes of nan incident and to bring nan perpetrators to justness successful accordance pinch nan law”.

The ministry did not opportunity really galore visitors 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 nan Thai capital.

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

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

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

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

Citing nan authorities connected Saturday, nan newspaper identified nan 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 curen died astatine a infirmary successful Bangkok [Chanakarn Laosarakham/AFP]

The US Department of State said a man had died successful nan aforesaid town. He was recovered by unit unresponsive successful his room pinch respective bottles of alcohol, according to The Laotian Times.

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

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

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

The Vietnamese head of nan Nana Backpackers Hostel wherever nan visitors were staying has been detained for questioning, tourer constabulary told nan AFP news agency. But nary charges person been revenge truthful far.

Alcohol tainted pinch methanol, which is usually utilized successful business and family products for illustration antifreeze, is suspected to beryllium nan origin of nan 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 news agencies