On Saturday, officials in Laos reported that they are unable to assign responsibility or identify the cause behind the tragic deaths of six tourists in 2024. These fatalities had been previously associated with alcohol tainted with methanol, but the lack of autopsies — due to family refusals — leaves questions unanswered.
The tragic incident involved two Danish nationals, an American, a Briton, and two Australian teenagers, who all passed away after reportedly spending an evening in the bustling town of Vang Vieng in November of that year.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Laos Ministry of Public Security stated, “Currently, we lack the evidence needed to conclude whether any individual’s actions or specific causes were responsible for these deaths.”
“This situation arose because authorities were not allowed to perform autopsies on the deceased, consequently missing out on crucial forensic evidence to ascertain the cause of death,” the statement added.
Nonetheless, the statement did reveal a significant finding: “The Ministry of Health’s Food and Drug Research Center identified dangerously high levels of methanol in Tiger Vodka.”
Methanol is a toxic alcohol that can be added to liquor to increase its potency but can cause blindness, liver damage and death.
The statement said, based on information provided by the Australian Embassy and a Thai hospital, that “methanol had been detected in the blood of the two deceased Australian tourists”.
It said legal proceedings had been initiated against the owner of the Tiger distillery for “manufacturing or selling products hazardous to health” and “illegal commercial operation”.
In a statement issued earlier on Saturday, Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that charges had been officially laid by Laos officials on Friday.
If found guilty, the accused faced up to four years’ jail and a fine, Denmark’s foreign ministry said.
The owner and 10 employees of the hostel where the American tourist was staying have also been charged with “destruction of evidence” after transporting his body to hospital.
‘Frustrated and bitterly disappointed’
The investigation has been a source of contention between Australia and Laos and the charges laid this weekend came amid concern over whether justice would be served nearly two years after the deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles.
“The Australian Government is deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed that authorities in Laos are not pursuing the most serious charges,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday.
”We have consistently made clear our expectations that charges should reflect the gravity of the tragedy,” Wong said in a statement, adding the government had advocated for a thorough and transparent investigation into the deaths.
Wong said she would again put Australia’s views directly to her Laos counterpart at a Southeast Asian ministerial meeting in Manila next week.
Vang Vieng has been a fixture on the Southeast Asia backpacker trail since Laos’ communist rulers opened the country to tourism decades ago.
The town was once synonymous with alcohol- and drug-fuelled jungle parties for backpackers but has since rebranded as an ecotourism destination.
The Australian government’s travel advisory and consular information service, smartraveller, has recently upgraded its tourist warning for Laos.
It now advises travellers to “exercise a high degree of caution due to crime, the risk of methanol poisoning and ongoing concerns around lack of transparency in the justice system”.
“The Lao legal system may not provide transparency or justice, particularly in criminal cases,” the advice now reads.