Dutch woman in hospital after drinking poisoned alcohol in Laos; 3 tourists dead
A Dutch woman has been hospitalized after drinking poisoned alcohol in Vang Vieng, Laos. Three other backpackers died. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs added a warning to its travel advice for the popular tourist destination.
The Dutch tourist is in a stable condition and her life is not in danger, the Ministry reported. The people who died were two Danes and an American. Their governments confirmed their deaths, according to NOS. Two Australian backpackers are also reportedly in the hospital.
According to The Guardian and ABC News, the backpackers may have drunk alcohol poisoned with methanol - a highly toxic form of alcohol used in industry as a pesticide, fuel, or solvent, among other things.
“Tourists have died in Vang Vieng this month after drinking alcohol that was probably contaminated with drugs,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added to the travel advice for the Southeast Asian country. It advised Dutch tourists to not leave their food and drinks unattended.
