The Australian teenager is the fourth tourist to die

Australian teenager Bianca Jones has become the fourth tourist to die in a suspected mass poisoning in Laos.

The 19-year-old girl’s family confirmed her death to the media on Thursday. Hours earlier, the US State Department told media that an American man had died in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.

Two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, also died last week in Laos, Danish authorities confirmed, declining to share further due to confidentiality concerns.

The deaths are still being investigated by police, but news reports and online statements from other tourists suggest they may have consumed drinks containing methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol. .

Jones’ friend Holly Bowles is in hospital on life support, while a British woman is also said to be in hospital.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told local media on Thursday that one of its citizens was also unwell with suspected methanol poisoning. It’s unclear how many more people are sick.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed Jones’ death.

“Our first thoughts at this time are with her family and friends who are grieving a terrible and cruel loss,” Albanese said on Thursday afternoon.

“This is every parent’s worst fear and a nightmare that no one should have to endure.”

He said he hoped Ms Bowles, currently at Bangkok Hospital, would recover well.

The US State Department said it was “closely monitoring” the situation involving the American victim, adding that it was up to local authorities to determine the cause of death.

Australian, New Zealand And United Kingdom Authorities warn their citizens to be careful of methanol poisoning when drinking alcohol in Laos.

Nana Backpacker Hostel, where two Australian women stayed in Vang Vieng, told the BBC that the place was closed for police investigation.

The motel manager told The Associated Press that the two women were among more than 100 guests who received free Lao vodka from the motel. The couple then retired for the night, he said, adding that no other guests reported health problems.

The manager said he hoped the investigation would clear the hostel’s name, but said they had now stopped offering free vaccinations.

In a statement to Australian newspaper the Herald Sun, the Jones family expressed their “deepest gratitude for the outpouring of support, love and prayers we have received from across Australia”.

“We kindly ask for privacy as we move through our pain and begin to heal,” the statement said.

Unlike ethanol, the main ingredient of alcoholic beverages, methanol is toxic to humans. However, bootlegger manufacturers sometimes add it to their drinks as a cheap way to increase alcohol content.

Earlier this year, at least 57 people in India died after drinking alcohol mixed with methanol. Similar cases of mass poisoning have been reported around the world, from the Philippines to Peru.

Vang Vieng is a small riverside town in central Laos and a center of attraction for backpackers in Southeast Asia.