’My body was on fire’: Indonesians recall horror methanol poisoning symptoms after Laos tragedy

Millions of Australians flock to Southeast Asia every single year – and many of them are unwittingly gambling with their lives.

The deaths of six backpackers in Vang Vieng in Laos due to suspected methanol poisoning has raised questions about the safety of spirits and mixed drinks across Southeast Asia, with similar cases also reported in countries including Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

Australia is still reeling from the deaths of Melbourne teens Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both 19, who were among the group of travellers who fell ill after drinking in the popular tourist town this month.

British woman Simone White, 28, Danish women Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, and American man James Louis Hutson, 57, also died in the mass poisoning tragedy.

But it’s not just tourists who are affected by the horrors of methanol poisoning in Southeast Asia.

Indonesian entrepreneur Belman, who did not want to give his full name due to the stigma around methanol poisoning in Indonesia, told news.com.au that he was a victim of suspected methanol poisoning after drinking mixed drinks at a party with his friends several months ago – a harrowing ordeal which left him swearing that he would never touch locally brewed liquor ever again.

Holly Bowles died from methanol poisoning in Laos during the trip of a lifetime. Picture: Facebook

Her best friend Bianca Jones also lost her life. Picture: Facebook

Belman, who is from North Sumatra Province and is a regular drinker, had been at a party with friends when he drank a local brand of vodka mixed with Pepsi Blue. It was meant to be a fun night out with a few drinks and a bit of music, but instead, it left the 47-year-old fighting for his life.

‘I have no idea what was actually in that’

“The vodka had a stated 40 per cent alcohol content on the label but, because it was mixed with Pepsi, it did not taste strange in any way or bitter when I tried it,” he said.

“But now I have no idea what was actually in that vodka.”

While he was still drinking with his friends, Belman said that he started to experience a splitting headache of the kind he had never felt before, which quickly left him incapacitated.

He had to be carried home by a friend but, before they could even get to his house, Belman started to vomit uncontrollably on the side of the road.

By the time they arrived at his home, he was sliding in and out of consciousness.

The nightmare did not stop there.

Belman continued to vomit all night and into the next afternoon, even though there was nothing left in his stomach. The vomiting did not stop for the next three days, causing his family to panic and fear that he was about to die.

Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, died on November 14 while backpacking around South East Asia. Facebook

Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, also died in the same mass poisoning tragedy. Picture: Instagram

“For three days I was just continuously retching and I barely had the strength to open my eyes. The headache was extraordinary, I had never felt anything like it. Every time I tried to eat or drink, I would start to vomit again,” he said.

“I forced myself to drink warm water and finally, on day three, the vomiting subsided and I was able to eat again.”

Since that incident, Belman has been reluctant to drink mixed alcohol again. It is the only time he has ever had such a reaction when drinking liquor in Indonesia, and now he only drinks palm wine as a substitute for spirits, which he considers a safer option.

UK woman Simone White also died of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos. Picture: Facebook

Deadly pattern

Suspected methanol poisoning cases are not uncommon in Indonesia, and more than 100 people died in a mass poisoning incident in 2018 in the cities of Jakarta and Bandung, with over 160 people hospitalised.

Like the recent incident in Laos, it is not just locals who have been affected by methanol poisoning in Indonesia.

Perth teen Liam Davies tragically died from methanol poisoning in 2012. Picture: Facebook

On New Year’s Eve 2012, 19-year-old Perth resident Liam Davies was celebrating with friends on the Indonesian island of Gili Trawangan off the coast of Lombok when he unwittingly drank vodka and lime which was tainted with deadly methanol.

Despite being evacuated back to Australia, he died just days later, having suffered seizures and a brain bleed.

Why is this happening?

Alcohol is heavily taxed in Indonesia, making it prohibitively expensive for many Indonesians – who turn to cheaper illicit alternatives made by home brewers who often eschew safety measures or simply do not know how to brew alcohol safely.

Methanol is colourless and odourless, making it impossible to detect, and is a natural by-product of the fermentation process when making home-brewed alcohol.

During the distillation process, methanol is meant to be burned off but, if the alcohol is not heated to a high enough temperature, the methanol can linger in the final product. To cut costs, some home brewers only heat the alcohol for a short period, failing to burn off the methanol – or neglect to heat it at all.

Just 30 millilitres of methanol – or around the size of a shot glass – can have deadly consequences for consumers.

Melbourne teens Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones were staying at Nana Backpackers Hostel in Laos when tragedy struck. Picture: AFP

‘My body felt like it was on fire’

Adeli, an 18-year-old student who is also from North Sumatra Province, suffered a similar situation to Belman, and fell unconscious after drinking mixed drinks at a local nightclub.

Adeli, who also did not want to give her full name, had been out with a friend when she was offered several glasses of a local liquor made from fermented grapes mixed with the energy drink Red Bull from a group of men at the table next to them.

Like Belman, Adeli said that the mixed drinks tasted sweet because of the Red Bull, giving her a false sense of security that the alcohol she was drinking was safe for human consumption.

“After just a few glasses, I felt dizzy and then I started to vomit and lost consciousness in the nightclub. When I woke up, I was already at my friend’s house,” she said.

Like Belman, Adeli kept vomiting until she could barely move. While she was vomiting, she said she felt her stomach cramp and convulse, and sting as if it was filled with acid.

The hostel has been closed since November 14. Picture: Supplied

It can sometimes be difficult to accurately assess if someone has been poisoned by methanol, as some of the symptoms mimic alcohol poisoning or an allergic reaction to another substance in the drink.

Some of the main symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting and fatigue, while one of the more specific symptoms of methanol poisoning is vision problems, which both Belman and Adeli experienced.

These can include blindness, blurred vision, tunnel vision and sensitivity to light.

Both Belman and Adeli told news.com.au that their eyelids felt heavy and painful and their eyes stung and watered if they opened them, even for a short time.

Adeli said that she stayed at her friend’s house for three days until her vomiting subsided, because she was afraid of what would happen if she tried to move – even to a local hospital or back to her own home.

Since that incident, the student no longer drinks spirits or mixed drinks, as she is terrified of the same thing happening again.

“My body felt like it was on fire,” she said.

Aisyah Llewellyn is a freelance journalist based in Indonesia