A US citizen has died in a tourist town in Southeast Asia’s Laos after reports that several travelers in the same town suffered suspected cases of alcohol poisoning after consuming possibly tainted drinks.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed to CBS News that the death occurred in Vang Vieng.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and providing consular assistance,” the spokesperson said, adding that local authorities were responsible for determining the cause of death. The victim’s name was not mentioned.
Australian media also reported that two Danish tourists died after consuming tainted alcohol in Vang Vieng, but it was not immediately possible to confirm details.
Asked about media reports, the Danish Foreign Ministry told The Associated Press that “two Danish citizens have died in Laos” but could not provide details on “reasons of confidentiality in personal matters.”
Anupam Nath / AP
Meanwhile, two Australian tourists were being treated in Thailand for suspected severe alcohol poisoning after consuming tainted drinks in Vang Vieng, Australian media reported on Tuesday.
The two 19-year-old women were on a backpacking holiday in Laos when they fell ill in the Vang Vieng, The Age newspaper in the woman’s hometown of Melbourne reported.
Duong Duc Toan, manager of Nana Backpacker Hostel, said on Tuesday that staff were told by other guests that the two women were unwell after they failed to check out as planned on November 13, and had arranged transport to a hospital for them .
He said that two days earlier the women, along with more than 100 other guests, had received free shots of Lao vodka, offered by the hostel as a gesture of hospitality. He said no other guests had reported any problems, adding that the women then went out for the evening and returned in the early hours of the morning.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to two Australians and their families in Thailand, but could not provide further information for privacy reasons.
“Our thoughts are with them at this deeply troubling time,” the office said.
They were then transported to Thailand and are being treated at hospitals in Bangkok and Udon Thani, The Age reported. Their parents flew in to be with them.
It is not clear what the two were drinking, but methanol is sometimes used as alcohol in mixed drinks at notorious bars and can cause serious poisoning or death.
Vang Vieng is a tourist town that is especially popular among backpackers looking for parties and adventure sports. Business appeared to be business as usual on Tuesday evening in the hostel’s surrounding area, full of bars and food stalls.
It was not immediately possible to verify reports that other tourists had also been poisoned in the same incident.
Toan, the hostel’s manager, said he hoped the investigation would clear his name, but for now the hostel has stopped giving free shots to its guests.
