Laos Police Detain Hostel Workers After Tourist Deaths Linked to Methanol Poisoning

Police have detained eight employees of a backpacker hostel in Laos following the deaths of six tourists, believed to be caused by methanol poisoning last week.

Local reports indicate that the detainees include both staff and management from the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, where several of the deceased tourists had stayed. The number of additional individuals affected remains uncertain, as investigations into the deaths continue. The hostel, now closed, has previously denied serving illegal alcohol.

This is not the first instance of police detaining hostel staff. The manager was among those questioned by police last week. According to reports, he had informed that the only individuals who fell ill at the hostel were 19-year-old Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, after consuming complimentary shots before going out.

The two women died days later in a Thai hospital. Their deaths were the first suspected to be linked to methanol—a toxic, flavourless, and colourless substance often found in bootleg alcohol.

Two Danish women and a 57-year-old American man, who were also guests at Nana Backpacker Hostel, died around the same time. The Danish tourists were discovered unconscious in their hostel room on 13 November. This was the same day the Australian women were hospitalised after a night out, according to local media.

The Danish women were taken to a hospital in Vientiane but passed away overnight. Medical officials cited sudden heart failure as the cause of death. On 13 November, hostel staff found the American tourist, James Louis Hutson, dead in his room with several empty glasses nearby. No external injuries were reported.

Simone White, lawyer from London, also died from suspected methanol ingestion while staying in Vang Vieng. These deaths have drawn attention to the popular backpacker destination, raising concerns among tourists, particularly women, as five of the six deceased were female.

Governments of New Zealand, Australia, and the UK have issued warnings about consuming spirits in Laos.

Frances Ibiefo

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