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An Australian teenager, Bianca Jones, has become the fourth tourist to die in what is suspected to be a mass poisoning in Laos. The 19-year-old’s family confirmed her death to the media on Thursday. Earlier that day, the US State Department reported that an American man had also died in the popular tourist town of Vang Vieng.

Two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, died last week under similar circumstances, according to Danish authorities, though they have withheld further details for privacy reasons.


The deaths are still under investigation, but reports and accounts from other travelers suggest that the victims may have consumed drinks contaminated with methanol, a toxic substance commonly found in illicit alcohol.




Vang Vieng is a small riverside town in central Laos, known as a popular destination for young Western backpackers traveling through Southeast Asia. It is located along the Banana Pancake Trail, a well-traveled route that stretches through Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.




Bianca Jones's friend, Holly Bowles, is currently in hospital on life support, and a British woman has also reportedly been hospitalized.


New Zealand's foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday that one of its citizens is ill with suspected methanol poisoning, while the Netherlands' foreign affairs ministry reported that a Dutch tourist was hospitalized but is now in stable condition. The full extent of the illness remains unclear, with other potential victims still being investigated.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his condolences, confirming Jones's death through the Department of Foreign Affairs. "Our first thoughts in this moment are with her family and friends who are grieving a terrible and cruel loss," Albanese said on Thursday. "This is every parent's very worst fear and a nightmare that no one should have to endure."

He also extended his hopes for Holly Bowles’s recovery, who remains in critical condition at Bangkok Hospital.


The US State Department has stated that it is "closely monitoring" the situation concerning the American victim, but added that it is up to local authorities to determine the cause of death.



Authorities from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK have each issued warnings to their citizens to exercise caution when consuming alcohol in Laos, due to the risks of methanol poisoning.