Foreign victims named in suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos

The backpackers who died from a mass methanol poisoning have been named, as a doctor who first treated an Aussie victim reveals how quickly she deteriorated.

Three foreigners who died from a suspected mass methanol poisoning in the Southeast Asian country of Laos have been named, as a doctor who first treated an Australian victim reveals the harrowing impact of the spiked drink.

Danish women Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, and American man James Louis Hutson, 57, were among those who died after a group of backpackers consumed alcoholic drinks spiked with the chemical in the tourist town of Vang Vieng this month.

Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, had already been named as two Melbourne teenagers who lost their lives last week while on the trip of a lifetime, along with British woman Simone White, 28.

It is understood a group of about a dozen foreigners fell ill shortly after November 12.

Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21.

Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20.

Ms Jones and Ms Bowles were staying at Nana Backpackers Hostel, which has been closed since November 14.

The Vietnamese manager of the hostel has been detained for questioning but has not been charged, the Laos tourist police told AFP.

The two Australian women consumed drinks at the hostel bar before heading out to another venue, staff at the hostel have claimed. The hostel has denied serving illegal or homemade alcohol.

The two Danish and American victims were also staying at Nana Backpackers Hostel, according to state-run Vientiane Times.

Ms Coyman and Ms Sorensen were reportedly found unconscious on the bathroom floor on November 13 after they had been out drinking the night before.

They died in hospital in Vientiane with doctors citing “heart failure”.

Mr Hutson was reportedly found unconscious in his bed on November 13 after staff noticed he had not come out of his room. The Vientiane Times said police found four empty bottles of beer and two empty bottles of vodka in the room.

Methanol is highly toxic and as little as one shot can be fatal. It is difficult to distinguish from ethanol, the alcohol found in beer, wine, and spirits, because it is colourless, odourless, and tasteless.

Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng where the two Australian teenagers were staying. Picture: AFP

Dr Blair Aitken from Swinburne’s Centre for Mental Health and Brain Science explained that in some cases, dangerously high methanol levels were created during illegal alcohol production or home distillation “due to poor control during the distillation process”.

But in other cases, “methanol is intentionally added to counterfeit alcohol because it is easier to produce and a cheap way to increase alcohol content”.

Symptoms of methanol poisoning include fatigue, headaches, nausea, and vision problems such as blindness, blurred or snowfield vision, changes in colour perception, difficulty looking at bright lights, dilated pupils, flashes of light and tunnel vision.

Bianca Jones, 19.

Holly Bowles, 19.

‘I was so surprised’: Doctor who treated Holly Bowles

A doctor who first treated Ms Bowles in Vang Vieng claimed she went from a state of confusion to a coma in just half an hour.

Dr Yaher told The Times she was confused, sleepy and didn’t know what had happened when she arrived at his small one-storey hospital at 2am.

“We treated her symptomatically,” he told the publication.

“We put her on an IV drip and gave her vitamins. But after 30 minutes she had a seizure and went into a coma. I was so surprised. We gave her CPR, because she had difficulty breathing, and we intubated her and referred her to Vientiane.”

Ms Bowles went from Dr Yaher’s district hospital in Vang Vieng to a hospital in the capital Vientiane, before being taken to a Thai hospital where she later died.

British victim Simone White, 28.

The Laos government released a statement on Saturday expressing sympathy and condolences to the families of the tourists who died.

It said an investigation was underway and promised to “bring the perpetrators to justice according to the law”.

Bianca Jones’ father Mark Jones issued a plea on the weekend to ensure his daughter’s death was not in vain.

“I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Laos government to investigate this to the fullest extent, to make sure this incident doesn’t happen again,” he said.

“We can’t have the passing of our daughter … not lead to change to protect others.

“Young men and women should be able to travel, create their own life experiences and be safe.

“We’ll forever miss our beautiful girl and hope her loss of life has not been in vain.”

Bianca and Holly’s families to launch awareness campaign

The families of Ms Jones and Ms Bowles have created a fundraiser to help launch a campaign raising awareness about methanol poisoning.

The GoFundMe page has raised more than $180,000 in less than 24 hours.

“This campaign, organised by the families of Bianca and Holly, aims to raise awareness about the dangers of methanol poisoning — a silent but deadly risk that often claims lives without warning,” the page says.

“We want to honour the memory of Bianca, Holly, and others impacted by methanol poisoning by turning this tragedy into a mission for change.”

Funds raised will help assist the families financially, such as covering out-of-pocket expenses to bring the young women home, as well as support existing initiatives working to combat methanol poisoning through education and prevention efforts, and launch their own initiatives.

700ml vodka sells for less than $1 in Laos

A bottle of vodka that was used at Nana Backpackers Hostel is one theory to how the backpackers fell ill, but hostel staff deny adding to the bottle.

It was previously reported Ms Jones and Ms Bowles had “free shots” at their hostel before heading out for the night. But manager Duong Duc Toan told the Associated Press the women were among more than 100 other guests who had the shots of Laos vodka.

British backpacker Lucy Davison, who also fell ill, claimed the hostel gave a group of about ten people one bottle of the locally-branded Tiger Vodka to share, which they had “minimal amounts” of and “were not drunk”.

She said about 15 hours later she felt extreme tiredness, vomiting and visual impairment, and her boyfriend took her to a private hospital in Vientiane.

“The people there literally saved my life,” she said in a TikTok, hoping to raise awareness of the risks and dangers of methanol poisoning.

The vodka used at Nana Backpackers for “free shots” during happy hours between 8 and 10pm has been described as one of the cheapest alcohol in the world.

A 700ml bottle of local-branded Tiger Vodka can be bought in Vang Vieng for just 70 cents, but businesses can buy it for even less – leading it to be given away free at many bars, Herald Sun reports.

This information has raised questions about why bars would want to add methanol to the Tiger spirits to make them go further and whether the vodka could have been contaminated during production.

Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles allegedly consumed Tiger Vodka.

Australia issues travel warning for Laos

The Australian government updated its travel advice for Laos following the poisonings.

“Be alert to the potential risks, particularly with spirit-based drinks, including cocktails,” official travel advice website Smartraveller warns.

Contaminated drinks can include local home-brewed spirits and spirit-based drinks, such as cocktails, but even familiar brand name alcohol as labels on bottles aren’t always accurate.

Laos isn’t the only country with this risk.

Smartraveller also names nearby countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia, as well as Costa Rica and Türkiye.

“Alcohol production is less regulated in some destinations than in Australia. This can lead to methanol being used in the production process to lower costs,” it states. “Methanol is highly toxic. As little as one shot can be fatal.”

Smartraveller urges Australian tourists to know the symptoms of methanol poisoning, which can be similar to drinking too much. “However, they are usually stronger,” it states.

“Act quickly if you suspect you or someone you’re travelling with has been poisoned. Urgent medical attention could save your life or save you from permanent disability,” Smartraveller advises, encouraging people to report suspected cases of methanol poisoning to the police.