Laos vows justice after tainted alcohol kills 6 tourists
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Two Australians died at Bangkok Hospital, where they were taken to after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BANGKOK – The Lao government said it is “profoundly saddened” by the recent deaths of foreign tourists from drinking alcohol contaminated with methanol and has pledged to prosecute those responsible.
Two Danes, two Australians, a Briton and an American died after visiting Vang Vieng
The government said it has been “conducting investigations to find causes of the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law”, in its first official comments published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on Nov 24.
It said it “expresses its sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased”.
Lao state-run news agency KPL said on Nov 22 that the authorities were gathering evidence and witness accounts following the foreigners’ deaths due to suspected “consumption of tainted alcoholic beverages”. Counterfeits of well-known alcohol brands and homemade spirits are a problem in Laos. Australia and Britain have warned their citizens to be cautious when consuming drinks there.
In response to the incident, the US embassy in Laos issued a warning on Nov 22 for its citizens to be on alert for risks of methanol poisoning when consuming spirit-based drinks, advising them to buy from licensed vendors and to check for signs of tampering or counterfeiting.
Methanol is a toxic alcohol that is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide and alternative fuel source, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. REUTERS
