(Reuters) – A New Zealand citizen poisoned after drinking contaminated alcohol in a popular tourist town in Laos has returned home, authorities said on Monday, as Laos pledged to prosecute those responsible for the incident which has killed six tourists.
“The New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok has been providing assistance to one New Zealander who we believe to have been poisoned with methanol in Laos. They have now departed Laos and returned home,” a New Zealand foreign ministry spokesperson said by email, without providing further details on the person.
Two Danes, two Australians, a Briton and an American have died from methanol poisoning after visiting Vang Vieng, an idyllic town that is popular with foreign backpackers.
Mark Jones, father of 19-year-old Australian Bianca, urged officials in the Southeast Asian country to take strict action so that similar incidents do not repeat.
“We can’t have the passing of our daughter’s life not lead to change to protect others,” Jones told reporters outside the hospital in Bangkok where his daughter had been transferred after falling sick.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help the families of Melbourne residents Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, to cover the cost of bringing them home, and support initiatives and awareness campaigns. The campaign has raised about A$179,000 ($117,100) as of Monday morning.
Laos foreign ministry said it has been “conducting investigations to find causes of the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law.”
Australia, the United States and Britain have warned their citizens to be cautious when consuming drinks in Laos, where counterfeits of well-known alcohol brands and home-made spirits pose a significant problem.
New Zealand on Monday advised travellers to be cautious about consuming alcoholic beverages, particularly cocktails and drinks made with spirits that may have been adulterated with harmful substances.
Methanol is a toxic alcohol that is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide, and alternative fuel source.
($1 = 1.5286 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
