Australian teenager Bianca Jones has become the fourth tourist to die in what is suspected to be a methanol mass poisoning incident in Laos.
Methanol-laced beverages
The 19-year-old’s family confirmed her death on Thursday. Just hours earlier, the U.S. State Department had reported the death of an American man in the tourist town of Vang Vieng. Danish authorities also confirmed the deaths of two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, in Laos the previous week.
Authorities are investigating the deaths, with reports and accounts from other tourists suggesting that the individuals may have consumed methanol-laced beverages. Methanol, a toxic substance often found in illegally produced alcohol, is suspected to be the cause.
Suspected methanol poisoning
Vang Vieng, a small riverside town in central Laos, is a popular destination for young Western backpackers traveling along the Banana Pancake Trail, a well-known route spanning Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Among the affected individuals, Jones’s friend, Holly Bowles, is currently on life support in a Bangkok hospital. A British woman and a New Zealand citizen are also reported to be unwell due to suspected methanol poisoning. Dutch authorities confirmed that a Dutch tourist was hospitalized but is now stable. The total number of those affected remains unclear.
U.S. State Department closely monitoring the situation
The U.S. State Department stated that it is closely monitoring the situation involving the American victim but emphasized that local authorities are responsible for determining the cause of death. Officials from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom have issued warnings to their citizens regarding the dangers of methanol poisoning in Laos.
Methanol, unlike ethanol—the primary alcohol found in beverages—is highly toxic to humans. It is sometimes added to illicitly produced alcohol to increase its potency. Earlier this year, at least 57 people in India died after consuming methanol-laced liquor. Similar cases of mass poisoning have occurred globally, including in the Philippines, Peru, and Indonesia, where such incidents have hospitalized or killed dozens, though tourists are rarely affected.
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