Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, were among the six young people who died after drinking suspected poisoned alcohol at a backpacker’s hostel in Laos
Tragic new photographs show two women enjoying a trip of a lifetime in south-east Asia just days before they died from drinking poisoned alcohol at a backpacker’s hostel.
Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, from Denmark were among six young people who tragically died last week after they consumed drinks believed to have been laced with methanol at Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos.
British lawyer and former Newcastle University student Simone White, 28, was also among the dead. Another 11 foreign nationals remain in hospital in a serious condition. Now, horrifying new details have emerged of the aftermath of the poisoning as heartbreaking snaps showed Anne-Sofie and Freja enjoying their earlier travels in Vietnam.
According to the MailOnline, a man who shared a mutual friend with the two young women shared a warning on social media claiming they had been “vomiting blood” for 13 hours after consuming the drinks before they died. He wrote: “The past few days I have been busy with a Belgian friend looking for two girls he travelled with. For more than 72 hours, no contact could be made while they had agreed to meet in Vang Vieng. The strange thing was that their last message was that they had both been vomiting blood for 13 hours… They have both since died.”
Just days before, the two friends – both from the town of Roskilde near Copenhagen – were photographed together spending time with local children in Vietnam. Another snap shows Ms Sorensen enjoying a drink in Bangkok on an earlier leg of the trip.
It comes after the government of Laos said it was investigating the suspected methanol poisoning and promised to prosecute those responsible. In a statement to the press, the Laotian authorities said they were “profoundly saddened” by the deaths of the travellers and extended their deepest sympathies to the bereaved families. The statement confirmed investigations would be carried out “to find causes of the incident” and vowed to “bring the perpetrators to justice”.
On Friday, the distraught parents of British lawyer Simone White said they are “devastated by the loss of our beautiful, kind and loving daughter”. They added: “Simone was one of a kind and had the most wonderful energy and spark for life. She was a soul who gave so much to so many and was loved by her family, friends and colleagues. Simone has been taken from us too soon, she will be sorely missed by her brother, grandmother and entire family. Our hearts go out to all other families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.”
An official from Vang Vieng’s Tourism Police commented that while no formal charges have yet been placed, a “number of people” are being held as part of the investigation. The Nana Backpacker Hostel, which remains open but is not currently accepting new guests, has confirmed that both the manager and owner have been taken in for questioning.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has said it is providing consular assistance to British nationals receiving treatment in hospital following the incident, as well as support to their families.
The FCDO also confirmed they are in touch with local authorities regarding the British citizens involved.