Editorial Staff
22/11/24 13:20

Editorial Staff
22/11/24 13:20

British woman is dies of Methanol poisoning in Laos along with five other tourists

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Six people including a British lawyer have died in Laos from Methanol poisoning (LBC)

by Mick the Ram

 

A young British lawyer has died after a suspected methanol poisoning in the south-east Asian country, Laos.

Simone White from London became the fifth victim and was quickly followed by a sixth when Australian teenager, Holly Bowles, lost her battle for life, after also suffering from similar symptoms.

The foreign tourists appear to have consumed tainted bootleg alcohol in the small riverside town of Vang Vieng, in the centre of the country, around two hours north of the capital Vientiane.  

Earlier in the week another young Australian, Bianca Jones, passed away in hospital and an unnamed US man and two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, are also among the victims of the suspected poisoning.

The Netherlands’ foreign affairs ministry has said a Dutch tourist was sent to the hospital and remains in a stable condition after falling ill in similar circumstances.

It remains unclear just how many others could have inadvertently drank the lethal liquid, which is colourless and does not have a distinguishing taste, but just relatively tiny amounts can be fatal.

It can take up to 24 hours for victims to start showing signs of illness after consumption of the liquid, so at this stage it is not yet known where the poisoning took place.

It is understood that most if not all the victims so far were staying at the nearby Nana Backpacker Hostel.

 

Devastated family being supported

Twenty-eight-year-old Simone White, from Orpington, south-east London, was travelling with a group of friends in Laos.

She was a lawyer with global law firm Squire Patton Boggs, whose website speaks of their work involving general commercial matters, and contentious and non-contentious intellectual property law issues.

In a statement, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Laos, and we are in contact with the local authorities.”

 

Urgent advice from friend

Simone’s friend Bethany Clarke also fell ill, but seems to have been luckier and has responded to treatment.

Shortly before her friend passed away she urged tourists in the region to avoid local spirits in a Facebook post. “Just avoid them as so not worth it; six of us who drank free shots from the same place in Vang Vieng are in hospital currently with methanol poisoning.”

 

Tragic loss of girls from same area

Melbourne teenager, Holly Bowles was just 19-years-old, and had fought hard for life in a Bangkok hospital where she had been flown, along with her friend Bianca Jones, who sadly also died earlier in the week.

The pair, from the city’s Beaumaris area had been holidaying in Laos and had told how they had stopped at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in the town of Vang Vieng and had drank at the venue before reportedly going to Jaidee Bar, on November 11.

Neither girl emerged from their dorm room for 24 hours before being taken to separate hospitals. Thai authorities confirmed Ms Jones had died by “brain swelling due to high levels of methanol found in her system”.

 

Hostel manager questioned

Hostel manager Duong Duc Toan said the Australian women had joined more than 100 other guests for free shots of Lao vodka offered by the facility as a gesture of hospitality.

He is being questioned by police, but is not thought to be responsible, rather the damaging consumption appears to have taken place elsewhere.  

The Australian government has updated its travel advice for Laos, telling residents to be alert to the potential risk of spirit-based drinks including cocktails.

 

Lethal substance

Methanol is a volatile and flammable liquid used as a base material in acrylic plastic, synthetic fabrics and fibres to make clothing, adhesives, paint, antifreeze, solvents, and plywood used in construction. It is also used as a chemical agent in pharmaceuticals and agrichemicals and absolutely NOT for human consumption.

If consumed it is absorbed in the gut within minutes and then gets into the bloodstream. As the body attempts to clear methanol – breaking it down or metabolising it in the liver – an enzyme converts it to formaldehyde and formic acid.

This has major consequences, affecting breathing and attacking the nerves. Partial or complete blindness from methanol poisoning is common, and if left untreated, it can lead to a coma and death.

Poisoning can be treated using alcohol (ethanol) to outcompete the methanol metabolism, but this procedure has to be done extremely quickly after entering the body’s system.

 

Unsafe bar practices common in country

Landlocked Laos is one of south-east Asia’s poorest nations, but is a popular tourist destination and local bars are known to operate illegal practices when it comes to cheap ways of tainting alcohol, and Vang Vieng is particularly popular among backpackers seeking a party atmosphere.

Vang Vieng is a hub for backpackers travelling across south-east Asia. It’s home to the Banana Pancake Trail – a popular backpacking route spanning Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

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