Arabic version: لاوس توجّه اتهامات لمالك معمل تقطير وموظفي نزل بسبب وفيات سياح
Laos has laid charges against a distillery owner and employees of a Vang Vieng hostel after six tourists died following nights out in 2024, but authorities say they cannot prove methanol was the cause without autopsies.
According to SBS News, Laotian authorities said they “do not yet have evidence that can establish whether the deaths … were caused by the actions of any individual or by any particular causes” because the families of the deceased did not permit autopsies, leaving investigators without the forensic evidence needed to determine cause of death.
The Ministry of Health’s Food and Drug Research Center found excessive levels of methanol in Tiger Vodka, and information provided by the Australian Embassy and a Thai hospital indicated methanol had been detected in the blood of the two deceased Australian tourists. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the Tiger distillery owner for “manufacturing or selling products hazardous to health” and “illegal commercial operation.” The owner and 10 employees of the hostel where the American tourist was staying have also been charged; hostel staff face accusations including “destruction of evidence” after transporting his body to hospital. Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed charges were laid and said the accused face up to four years’ jail and a fine if found guilty.
The victims included two Danish citizens, an American, a Briton and two Australian teenagers, and the case has prompted diplomatic concern and travel warnings. The Australian Government said it was “deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed” that authorities in Laos were not pursuing the most serious charges, and Australia’s smartraveller service has upgraded its advice to tell 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.” Vang Vieng, once synonymous with alcohol- and drug-fuelled backpacker parties, has since rebranded as an ecotourism destination.
What happens next: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she will again raise Australia’s concerns directly with her Laos counterpart at a Southeast Asian ministerial meeting in Manila next week, while legal proceedings against the distillery owner and hostel staff continue.
Related sections: General | Social/إجتماعية | World/العالم | Australia/استراليا | Victoria
