Summary
Four people have died, including 19-year-old Australian Bianca Jones, two Danish women in their 20s, and a 56-year-old US citizen, after suspected methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng, a popular backpacker destination in Laos.
Several others, including six British and one New Zealand traveler, remain hospitalized.
The poisoning is believed to be linked to free shots offered at a local bar, prompting warnings from travelers to avoid local spirits.
Authorities fear a mass poisoning, with investigations underway into the source of the contaminated drinks.
You can destil without using copper. That doesn’t stop methanol.
It’s always present in fermented alcohols, but for it to be in a high enough a high enough concentration in the final product to kill you off of one shot… There has to be huge missteps from start to finish to a point way past negligence.