A teenage girl from Australia has died in Laos, a country in Southeast Asia. Recently, he went around the country with a backpack on his shoulder. Bianca Jones, 19, died after a suspected alcohol overdose, CNN reported Thursday. Bianca's death was the fourth such incident in recent days. Earlier, two Danish citizens including an American died in the country.
Bianca was evacuated from Laos to neighboring Thailand after falling seriously ill in Laos, CNN reported. He was on life support in Thailand. He finally died. However, despite Bianca's death, her friend and travel companion Holly Bowles is still fighting death on life support in a hospital in Bangkok. He is also 19 years old.
It is known that the city of Vang Vieng in Laos has become popular with young backpacker tourists from all over the world. And that is where the death of foreign tourists is happening one after another. The picturesque rural town in northern Laos has long been a popular backpacking spot. The area is also known for heavy drinking and drug availability.
The US State Department confirmed to CNN on Thursday that an American citizen also died in the city of Vang Vieng. However, nothing is known about how he died. The US is closely monitoring the deaths and providing consular assistance.
Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark also said that two Danish citizens had died in Laos. No details were given about the cause of those two deaths.
Meanwhile, Bianca's death is being blamed on toxic alcohol consumption. He is said to have taken a drink with a friend, which was mixed with methanol. They were staying in a hotel on November 11. From there they later went to a nearby bar and drank.
According to the Associated Press, the two teenagers also drank free alcohol provided by the hotel before going out for the night. Such arrangements are often made by hotel authorities for tourists.
After falling ill, two friends did not leave their hotel room for 24 hours and failed to check out on time. They were later rescued in a critical condition inside the room and taken to a hospital in Laos.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, poisoning from methanol can cause nausea or vomiting.
Methanol poisoning can cause the heart and lungs to stop working in humans. This liquid, which is usually clear, is used to clean other liquids. But sometimes it is mixed illegally by unscrupulous traders as a cheap way to increase the volume of alcoholic beverages.
It is believed that not only Bianca, several other tourists in Laos have become seriously ill after drinking alcohol including methanol. New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said consular assistance was also provided to one of its citizens who became seriously ill. The man is also believed to have suffered methanol poisoning in Laos.
In a statement to citizens traveling abroad, New Zealand said travelers may be contaminated with alcoholic beverages, particularly cocktails and spirits. It is advised to be cautious about this.'
The British Embassy in Laos said it had provided consular services to one of its nationals in a similar incident.
