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Arrests made after methanol poisonings in Laos
The Laotian Ministry of Health’s Department of Food and Drugs has reportedly identified the factory which produced the contaminated alcohol which killed six tourists last month.
Laos has been shocked by the outbreak of methanol poisoning among backpackers, with six fatalities, including two 19-year-olds from Australia, and several hospitalisations.
The majority of the victims had stayed at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, and now almost a dozen members of its staff, including eight Vietnamese nationals, have been placed under arrest. It is claimed that the hostel gave out around 100 shots of free vodka to guests on the November night a number of them fell ill. The hostel has been temporarily closed while police investigate.
ABC News has now reported that the poisoned drinks which were served to guests have been traced back to a dilapidated factory outside of Laos’ capital of Vientiane.
The country has already instituted a ban on Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky – a visiting ABC News reporter found evidence of the production of the latter at the factory. The factory owner has been placed under arrest.
The Australian Government had also urged visitors to Laos to avoid the Tiger brand due to potential “health risks” and to “be alert to the potential risks, particularly with spirit-based drinks including cocktails”. Tourists are also instructed to be wary of drinks being offered for free.
Duong van Huan, the owner of Nana Backpacker Hostel who was also arrested late last month, has denied any wrongdoing in the case and claimed that he sourced the drinks from a reputable supplier.
As ABC News also reported, now deleted reviews of the hostel show that some guests were concerned about the presence of methanol in the vodka served at Nana Backpacker just after the poisonings occurred. In response, a figure from the hostel called the comments “slander” and replied: “We only serve free drinks that are from well-known local brands in Laos, such as Tiger Whisky…”
While it is intended to be used for industrial purposes, methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, is known to be used as an additive to black market alcohol or moonshine, especially in Asia. Mass poisonings in Russia, Indonesia and India in recent years have gained some media attention, though it is the death of Western nationals in a popular tourist destination that has made the case in Laos as high profile as it is.
Methanol poisoning can take up to 72 hours to become apparent, and can result in symptoms ranging from nausea and blurred vision to seizures, comatosis and, just before death, respiratory arrest.
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