A young Australian woman died in Laos after drinking wine poisoned with methanol, her father confirmed on Friday, becoming the sixth casualty of what should have been a great night out in a tourist town on the Southeast Asian backpacker path. Shaun Bowles stated in a statement that his “beautiful girl Holly is now at peace” after dying in a Bangkok hospital where she was transferred last week after becoming ill in neighbouring Laos. Her buddy, Bianca Jones, passed away on Her friend, Bianca Jones, died on Thursday at a hospital in the northern Thai town of Udon Thani, where she had been admitted for treatment. They were both nineteen. A British woman, two young Danish women, and an American guy have all died, and several others are said to be unwell, after going out for drinks last week in the riverside town of Vang Vieng, which has long been a laid-back stop for young Western travellers. The British woman was named as Simone White, a 28-year-old barrister. “We are assisting the family of a British woman who died in Laos and are in contact with local authorities,” Britain’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said on Thursday.

White is said to have been transported to the Lao capital, Vientiane, for treatment after becoming ill last week. A member of staff at Kasemrad International Hospital told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday that a British national was being treated in the intensive care unit. The hospital declined to comment on Friday.

The Lao government has not confirmed the cause of death, but on Friday, it quoted Australian media as suggesting the victims had eaten methanol-laced drinks. According to Thai police, Jones died as a result of methanol-induced brain enlargement. The British, Australian, and New Zealand embassies have issued new travel advisories regarding the dangers of methanol in Laos. Methanol is a transparent, flavourless liquid that can be used to increase the alcohol level of beverages, frequently with disastrous results. According to Doctors Without Borders, over 1,200 individuals have become unwell as a result of drinking methanol-laced beverages in the last year, with 394 deaths reported worldwide, the most of which occurred in Asia. ‘Severe condition’ The Lao Ministry of Public Security, on Friday

The ministry stated that no autopsies had been performed, therefore it could not determine the cause of death. “On November 12, Coyman and Sorensen went out drinking at bars in Vang Vieng before returning around midnight,” the ministry stated in a statement. “At 6 p.m. on November 13, a staff member at Nana Backpacker discovered them unconscious in their rooms and transported them to Vang Vieng Hospital. They were in a coma and required a respirator due to their serious condition. They were moved to No. 103 Military Hospital at 8 p.m., but died at 3.30 a.m. “The doctors concluded death was due to sudden heart failure.” The government claimed hostel personnel discovered Hutson on his bed just

On November 13, at 6 p.m., a staff member at Nana Backpacker discovered them unconscious in their rooms and transported them to Vang Vieng Hospital. They were in a coma and required a respirator due to their serious condition. They were moved to No. 103 Military Hospital at 8 p.m., but died at 3.30 a.m. “The doctors concluded death was due to sudden heart failure.” According to the ministry, hostel personnel discovered Hutson on his bed just after 9 p.m. on November 13 and transported him to Vang Vieng Hospital, where he died. The U.S. State Department already verified the death of the U.S. citizen, while the Danish authorities stated two of its countrymen had died.

‘Do not take free drinks.’ The details of how the visitors got to consume poisoned beer in Vang Vieng are vague, and it is unclear whether they all drank at the same establishment. Residents told RFA that no Lao people had become ill in the last week, but incidences of poisoned beer were widespread in Vang Vieng. A town police officer, who declined to be identified owing to the sensitivity of the situation, stated that anyone caught selling poisoned drinks would face severe repercussions. “Methanol is basically prohibited to mix with alcohol for sales as it is listed as a life-harming chemical,” according to Radio Free Asia. “It is only allowed to be used for industrial purposes.” A Lao tourist official informed RFA that officials had checked.

“The only way to avoid this type of incident is to decline any free drink offered by someone you don’t know in a bar,” said the man, who declined to be identified. Police in Vang Vieng detained but did not charge many people in connection with their probe, according to the Associated Press. Staff at Nana Backpacker informed the agency that the hostel’s owner and management had been hauled away for questioning.

According to an updated caution from the British Foreign Office, methanol has been utilized in the production of counterfeit reproductions of well-known alcohol brands or illicit local spirits such as vodka. “You should exercise caution if offered, especially for free, or while purchasing spirit-based beverages. It warned, “Do not drink if the labels, smell, or taste appear to be wrong.”