Authorities have announced that a New Zealander who had contracted probable methanol poisoning in Laos has finally returned home.
No other information was provided regarding the visitor, who is among numerous that became ill or died recently after drinking what might have been contaminated beverages in Laos.
Six visitors—two Danes, two Australians, an American and a British national—have passed away; it is not known how many more were sick.
Laotian officials have agreed to look into the causes of the deaths, therefore drawing attention to a well-known backpacking destination.
Backpackers heading throughout Southeast Asia have long drawn to Vang Vieng, a little riverfront town in central Laos noted for its party culture.
But because five of the six deaths were female passengers, the current spate of deaths has scared visitors—especially women. Several nations, including those of New Zealand, Australia, and the UK, have cautioned their people against consuming spirits in Laos.
Days after their hospital admission in nearby Thailand, 19-year-old Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles passed away last week. Theirs were the first deaths thought to be resulting from the poisonous, flavourless, colorless chemical methanol, which is sometimes added to illicit alcohol.
Then Danish officials revealed the deaths of two women, aged 19 and 20, who had passed away in Vang Vieng earlier this month. Also discovered deceased in Vang Vieng was an American male aged 57.
And last week, Simone White, a 28-year-old London barrister, passed away following alleged ingestion of methanol.
Every victim stayed in The Nana Backpackers, a closed hostel. The proprietors had denied distributing illegal booze.
Concerned about their safety, several Vang Vieng visitors avoid the once-popular free shots and wine buckets provided to visitors, according to the BBC.
“The New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok (which has responsibility for Laos) has been helping one New Zealander who we believe to have been poisoned with methanol in Laos,” the foreign ministry of New Zealand said in a statement. “For privacy reasons no further details will be provided.”
“Know the symptoms of methanol poisoning and seek immediate medical attention if poisoning is suspected,” the advise read.
Most common in Asia, methanol poisoning typically affects underdeveloped areas with lax food rules and enforcement.
