An Australian teenager has died after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos in what Australia’s prime minister on Thursday called every parent’s nightmare. An American and two Danish tourists also died, officials said after reports that multiple people had been sickened in town popular with backpackers.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament that 19-year-old Bianca Jones had died after being evacuated from Vang Vieng, Laos for treatment in a Thai hospital. Her friend, also 19, remains hospitalized in neighboring Thailand.
“This is every parent’s very worst fear and a nightmare that no one should have to endure,” Albanese said. “We also take this moment to say that we’re thinking of Bianca’s friend Holly Bowles who is fighting for her life.”
They are believed to have consumed drinks tainted with methanol, which is sometimes added to mixed-drinks at disreputable bars as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but can cause severe poisoning or death.
Telephone numbers listed for Laos’ Health Ministry did not work and police refused to comment on the incident.
Australia said “several foreign nationals” had also been victims of methanol poisoning. The U.S. State Department confirmed that an American had also died in Vang Vieng.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and providing consular assistance,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News, adding that local authorities were responsible for determining the cause of death. The victim’s name was not provided.
Anupam Nath / AP
Denmark’s Foreign Ministry said two of its citizens had also died in “the incident in Laos,” but neither would comment directly on a link to the methanol poisoning that killed Jones.
Shaun Bowles told reporters outside Bangkok Hospital on Wednesday that his daughter remained in critical condition and on life support.
“We just like to thank everyone from back home for all of the support and love that we’re receiving,” he said. “But we’d also like the people to appreciate right now, we just need privacy so we can spend as much time as we can with Holly.”
In a statement to the Melbourne Herald Sun newspaper, Jones’ family asked for privacy in their grief.
“She was surrounded by love, and we are comforted by the knowledge that her incredible spirit touched so many lives during her time with us,” the family wrote.
“We want to express our deepest gratitude for the overwhelming support, love, and prayers we’ve received from across Australia.”
Landlocked Laos is one of Southeast Asia’s poorest nations and a popular tourist destination. Vang Vieng is particularly popular among backpackers seeking partying and adventure sports.
Details on the alcohol poisoning began trickling out about a week after the two Australian women fell ill on Nov. 13 following a night out drinking with a group in the remote town.
Thai authorities confirmed that Jones had died by “brain swelling due to high levels of methanol found in her system.”
“Drink spiking and methanol poisoning are far too common in many parts of the world,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said after receiving news of Jones’ death.
“At this time I would say to parents, to young people, please have a conversation about risks, please inform yourselves, please let’s work together to ensure this tragedy doesn’t happen again.”
New Zealand’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that one of its citizens was also unwell in Laos and could be a victim of methanol poisoning.
“We have updated our travel advisory for Laos to note that there have been several cases of suspected methanol poisoning after consuming alcoholic drinks,” New Zealand’s Foreign Ministry said.
“Travelers are advised to be cautious about consuming alcoholic beverages, particularly cocktails and drinks made with spirits that may have been adulterated with harmful substances.”
Australia also updated its travel advice, cautioning that several foreign nationals had been victims of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos this month. The U.S. did not immediately issue an updated travel advisory.
On Tuesday, Duong Duc Toan, manager of the Nana Backpacker Hostel where the two Australian women stayed in Vang Vieng, told the AP that staff were told by other guests that the two women were unwell after they failed to check out as planned on Nov. 13, and they arranged transport to a hospital for them.
The Facebook and Instagram pages of the hostel had been deactivated as of Thursday and it was no longer taking bookings on websites.
The women were then taken to Thailand for emergency medical treatment and their parents flew in to be with them.
“All Australians offer them our deepest sympathy in this time of heartbreak,” Albanese said.
“Bianca’s trip should have been a joyous time and a source of fond memories in years to come,” he said. “It is beyond sad that this was not to be.”
What is methanol poisoning?
Methanol is a toxic alcohol used in industrial and household products like antifreeze, photocopier fluids, de-icers, paint thinner, varnish, and windshield wiper fluid.
Colorless, flammable, and with a similar smell, it can be easily confused with its molecular cousin ethanol, which is usually found in alcoholic drinks.
But methanol is toxic to humans, with exposure or ingestion being extremely dangerous if left untreated.
Drinking just 25-90 milliliters of it can be lethal, according to the Methanol Institute, a global trade association for the industry.
It is absorbed by the gut in less than 10 minutes, but patients may appear normal for the first 12 to 24 hours after ingestion.
It will then cause nausea, vomiting and severe abdominal pain, followed by hyperventilation and difficulty breathing.
Partial or complete blindness from methanol poisoning is common, and if left untreated, it can lead to a coma and even death.
However, in smaller amounts, rapid diagnosis — within 10-30 hours of ingestion — and treatment can reduce the severest symptoms.
People with suspected methanol poisoning should immediately consult a medical toxicologist or poison center.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
