Six tourists, including a British woman, have died following a suspected methanol poisoning at the Nana Backpackers Hostel, which has since been shut down by police
A Laos hostel worker allegedly started “massaging” a poisoning victim’s feet after she started to have a seizure – claiming she was only having a “panic attack.”
Six tourists, including a British woman, have died following a suspected methanol poisoning at the Nana Backpackers Hostel, which has since been shut down by police. The victims, Simone White, 28, from the UK, Danish women Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, American man James Louis Hutson, 57, and Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, were all staying at the Nana Backpackers Hostel.
According to a local media report, it is alleged the hostel did not call an ambulance even when one of the Danish women was having a seizure. It is alleged a worker massaged the woman’s toes and feet, saying that it was only a panic attack: “‘I’m saving her, don’t worry’.”
A traveller from Europe, who is travelling through Southeast Asia and claims he’s friends with some of the victims, made an online report of what he found, according to Australian news outlet news.com.au. He has since carried out his own small survey of 20 people and said of the people he asked 14 had themselves fallen ill or know someone who fell ill while staying at the hostel.
Eight staff aged between 23 and 44, of the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng have been arrested following an investigation into the mass poisonings. Brit Simone White, from Orpington, Kent, fell ill earlier this month after reportedly drinking “free shots” from a local bar and later tragically died. The 28-year-old’s parents said they were “devastated by the loss of our beautiful, kind and loving daughter”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that Australia had offered to support authorities in Laos in the investigation, including through the assistance of the Australian Federal Police.
Mr Albanese said Australian officials would work closely with their international counterparts “to co-ordinate approaches” in an effort to prevent another “tragic incident” like this occurring again. He said: “We want to work with other governments based upon this experience to see whether any action can be taken. Obviously it is a sovereign nation, Laos, but I know they are devastated as are the governments of other countries who have been impacted by this.”
The Laotian government has promised to bring the perpetrators to justice, saying the nation was “profoundly saddened over the loss of lives of foreign tourists”. The statement read: “The government of the Lao PDR has been conducting investigations to find causes of the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law.”
A spokesman for the hostel said it bought the alcohol from a certified distributor and insisted it had not been tainted by hostel staff. They told the Associated Press: “Right now the police (are telling) every hostel and hotel and bar to stop selling drinks in Vang Vieng.”
