Poisoned alcohol kills tourists
Four tourists died in Laos last week after drinking poisonous alcohol. A dozen tourists ended up in hospital.
At a hostel, more than 100 guests were given free shots. An Australian girl of 19 had to go to hospital a few days later and did not survive. Earlier, two Danish women aged 19 and 20 and an American man also died of methanol poisoning.
The bar Jai Dee, with a dubious reputation and suspected links to organised crime, is under investigation.
Methanol, a toxic substance often used illegally in cheap alcohol production, is likely the cause. It leads to severe symptoms such as respiratory problems, blindness and death. The situation looks like a large-scale poisoning, and local authorities are trying to trace the origin of the toxic drink.
(Fausto by Tagtik/Source: ABC.net.au via Nieuwsblad/Illustration picture: Pixabay)