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| Visitors take up kayaking on the Xong River in Vangvieng. Authorities have confirmed three deaths on Lao soil, with foreign media reporting another three deaths after the victims were later hospitalised in neighbouring Thailand. PHOTO: VIENTIANE TIMES |
VIENTIANE – The Lao government on Saturday pledged to act and hold wrongdoers accountable for the deaths of foreign tourists suspected to be caused by tainted drinks in Vangvieng, a tourist hotspot in central Laos.
Authorities have confirmed three deaths on Lao soil, with foreign media reporting another three deaths after the victims were later hospitalised in neighbouring Thailand.
In an official statement issued on Saturday, the Lao government expressed heartfelt sadness and sympathy over the deaths allegedly caused by consuming drinks suspected of containing methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcoholic spirits.
The statement said, “The Government of the Lao PDR is profoundly saddened over the loss of lives of foreign tourists in Vangvieng District, Vientiane Province, and expresses its sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.
“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.
“The Government of the Lao PDR reaffirms that it always attaches importance and pays attention to the safety of both domestic and foreign tourists.”
The three victims confirmed dead in Laos by the authorities have been identified as Danish nationals Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, aged 20, Ms Frela Vennervald Sorensen, aged 21, and American national James Louis Hutson, aged 57.
Another three deceased reported by foreign media have been identified as British national Simone White, aged 28, and Australian nationals Bianca Jones, aged 19, and Holly Bowles, aged 19.
A report issued on Friday by the Laos Police Immigration Department suggested that the two Danish women entered Laos on November 7 through the Nam Phao-Cau Treo Border crossing between the Vietnamese city of Dong Ha and Lak Sao in Laos. They later went to Vangvieng, where they stayed at the Nana Backpacker Hostel.
On November 12, the two women went to a bar where they drank alcoholic beverages and returned to the hostel at around midnight.
The next day, they remained in their room until 6pm when staff went to check on them and found them lying unconscious on the bathroom floor.
They were taken to Vangvieng Hospital, where they were discovered to be in a coma and put on life support.
As the district hospital was unable to treat them any further, the young women were rushed to the 103 Hospital in Vientiane, but at 3:30am on the following day, doctors pronounced their deaths, citing heart failure.
Another of the victims, James Louis Hutson, entered Laos on July 23 and went to Vangvieng, where he checked in at the Nana Backpacker Hostel on October 20.
On November 13, staff realised he had not left his room all day and entered his room at 9:10pm, where they found him unconscious. He was taken to the district hospital, and police were called to inspect his room, where four empty bottles of beer and two empty bottles of vodka were found.
The Police Immigration Department’s report is also aware of Australian media reports, which suggest that 12 other foreign tourists have been hospitalised including two Australian nationals who stayed at the same hostel where they were given free drinks and later passing away.
Action to investigate the deaths began shortly after the first incident was notified, a source in Vientiane province with knowledge of the issue told the Vientiane Times.
“Operators of the hostel, where the victims were staying, have been detained for questioning,” he said.
The hostel has remained closed since November 14, a day after the first tragedy was reported.
On Saturday, relevant authorities met in Vangvieng as part of the ongoing fact-finding investigations.
The Governor of Vangvieng district, Mr Bounchan Malavong, told reporters after the meeting that officials are trying to determine the cause of the deaths and making in-depth enquiries about the source of the drinks served to guests at the hostel, which are believed to have contained methanol.
Methanol is a highly toxic industrial chemical that looks and tastes like alcohol but is not meant for human consumption, with drinking even small amounts of the substance often being lethal.
Addressing the issue, the governor assured that district authorities are working harder to ensure that other tourism-related businesses in Vangvieng strictly comply with all relevant regulations and place safety measures as a core priority to prevent such tragedies from repeating. (VIENTIANE TIMES/ANN)
Source: Vietnam News/ Vietnam Insider