Simone White, a 28-year-old British lawyer, was one of six tourists killed in the resort town of Vang Vieng in Laos over the past two weeks. Another 12 people were hospitalized in serious condition.
Bars in the popular tourist town of Vang Vieng no longer serve drinks. Until recently, the establishments were full of young people and the air was filled with the aroma of local rice whiskey. But now the environment has changed. All because of the tragedy: six tourists, including Simone White, died after methanol poisoning. It is believed they drank fake alcohol.
“We’re not very afraid,” Australian tourist Aaron Stephen told The Telegraph. “You can’t get vaccinated anywhere else yet.”
Among the dead was Australian citizen Holly Balls, 19. She died in a Thai hospital the day after the death of her friend Bianca Jones. Two Danish tourists and American James Hutson, 57, also died.
According to local authorities, at least 12 tourists were taken to hospital. Among them are citizens of the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand. All of the victims lived at the Nana Backpacker Hostel and visited the nearby Jay Dee bar.
According to eyewitnesses, on November 12, the tourists returned from the bar to the hostel. The next day, some of them were found unconscious in their rooms. Ten days later, the Lao government confirmed the presence of methanol in the hostel’s drinks.
Despite rumors that the hostel owner and his manager had been detained, local sources say that only the Vietnamese manager, Juang Van Huyen, was arrested. In an interview with ABC Australia, he insisted that poisonous alcohol was not sold in the hostel bar. He also denied adding methanol to the drinks.
“The police searched our business,” Huyen said.
However, a Norwegian businessman who has lived in Vang Vieng since 2004 questioned the official version. “We need to study not only alcohol, but also drugs. There are many of them here. And they are available,” he noted.
The owner of the restaurant next to Jay Dee’s bar had a different opinion: “I heard about it. Normally tourists in hostels have parties and drink a lot. It has always been like this. The hostel is closed now, but the bar is open. “We don’t sell local whiskey, so I don’t know where they get it from.”
The Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep regret over the tragedy. Tourists continue to visit the city, participating in rafting and hiking. However, the long-term implications for tourism are still unclear.
Cursor previously wrote that tourists entering Israel will face serious changes starting January 1.
