Melbourne man dies after drink spiked in Laos

A MELBOURNE man has died in Laos after a suspected drink spiking, and his friend has been treated in hospital.

Laos is popular with young backpackers. Picture: Mike Dolan.

A MELBOURNE man has died while travelling in Laos after a suspected drink spiking.

His friend has been treated in hospital.

The Herald Sun understands the dead man was a 24-year-old tourist, and he died over the weekend.

His travelling companion also fell ill after the suspected poisoning.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian man who died in Laos,” DFAT said in a statement to the Herald Sun.

Laos is popular with young Aussie backpackers but has a dark history with a number of fatalities.

In 2012 alone three young Australians died.

That year Alexander Lee, 22, of Yarraville, was found dead in a hotel room in Luang Prabang with drugs reportedly a factor.

Alexander Lee found dead in his hotel room in Laos in 2012.

Daniel Eimutis died tubing in Laos.

Lee Hudswell, 26, from Sydney, died of injuries suffered jumping onto a tube from a riverbank in Vang Vieng.

And Daniel Eimutis, a 19-year-old Melbourne University student died tubing in Vang Vieng.

DFAT said it could not release any more details on the latest fatality for “privacy reasons”.

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