Australia presses Laotian authorities for a full and transparent probe after the deaths of two 19-year-old backpackers.The Laos government has pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice following the deaths of several foreign tourists from consuming tainted alcohol.
An investigation was under way into the suspected methanol poisoning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday, expressing its condolences to the families.
In a brief statement, the ministry said it was “profoundly saddened over the loss of lives of foreign tourists” in the town of Vang Vieng, a hotspot for backpackers 130km (80 miles) north of the capital, Vientiane.
The authorities are conducting probes “to find causes of the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law”.
The ministry did not say how many tourists were killed, that information coming from foreign governments and a local newspaper, which reported at least six deaths.
Australian Holly Bowles, 19, died in a Bangkok hospital on Friday, a day after 19-year-old Australian Bianca Jones died in a hospital also in the Thai capital.
Australia is pressing Laotian authorities for a full and transparent investigation into what happened.
The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said lawyer Simone White, 28, died and it was in contact with local authorities in Laos.
The Laotian Times newspaper reported that two Danish citizens and a United States national were among the victims of the mas …
