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Australia has warned travelers against Tiger Vodka (pictured) and Tiger Whiskey due to “serious safety concerns”.
Australia has warned travelers not to drink certain alcoholic beverages in Laos, following a spate of deaths linked to suspected methanol poisoning.
Australians should avoid drinking Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whiskey “due to serious safety concerns”, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said on its travel information website on Friday.
He adds that Laotian authorities have banned the sale and consumption of these two products, fearing that they pose a health risk. The BBC has contacted the Laotian government for confirmation.
Reports suggest that the six people who died earlier this month in the Laotian town of Vang Vieng had drunk shots of locally made vodka.
Reporting on the deaths, the Australian travel advisory states that travelers should “be aware of potential risks, particularly with spirits-based drinks, including cocktails.”
Among those who died in Vang Vieng were two Australian women, Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19 years old. They were all staying at the Nana Backpackers hostel.
Eight staff members were arrested on Tuesday, but have not yet been charged.
The owners of the now-closed inn had previously denied serving illicit alcohol.
Families of the Australian victims have urged the Laos government to pursue the case.
“I was happy to hear that there was movement in Laos – we can't let our daughters pass away and this continues to happen,” Jones' father, Mark, told reporters earlier.
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Vang Vieng, where the suspected poisonings took place, is a backpacker hotspot
The other four victims were identified as Simone White, a 28-year-old British lawyer; James Louis Hutson, a 57-year-old American; and Danish citizens Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21.
It is unclear how many people remain ill from the suspected poisoning in Vang Vieng.
According to media reports, the tourists may have drunk alcohol containing methanol, a toxic industrial chemical.
The colorless, odorless substance is often used in moonshine, and medical experts suggest drinking as little as 25ml can be fatal.
The UK's Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office has also updated its travel advice to reflect the dangers of methanol poisoning in Laos, warning that the substance has been used in the manufacture of counterfeit replicas of well-known alcohol brands. known.
