4 Tourists Died Of Oplosan Alcohol In Laos, New Zealand Issues Travel Warning

JAKARTA - The New Zealand government issued a warning to its citizens who want to travel to Southeast Asia to be aware of liquor (alcohol) in Laos that has the potential to be mixed with dangerous methanol content.

The travel warning was conveyed in response to a poisoning case that hit a number of foreign tourists due to adulterated alcohol in Vang Vieng Laos that claimed lives so far by four people.

"We have updated our travel advice for Laos by noting that there have been several cases of suspected methanol poisoning after consuming alcoholic beverages," read a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, Thursday, November 21, quoted from AP.

The New Zealand government has warned its citizens who travel to Laos to avoid dropping off alcoholic drinks of the type of cocktail or those mixed with other mixtures.

"Tourists are advised to be careful in consuming alcoholic beverages, especially cocktails and drinks made with alcoholic beverages that may have been mixed with harmful substances," the statement continued.

The incident of opolosan alcohol poisoning in Vang Vieng, Laos, has claimed four lives. Those who died were one US citizen, one Australian and two from Canada.

While it is suspected that he was a victim of mixed alcohol poisoning, Vang Vieng is still undergoing treatment at a hospital in Laos, there are two people each, residents of New Zealand and Australia.

Australian Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese has spoken out regarding this incident, saying his citizen who died from mixed alcohol poisoning in Laos was Bianca Jones, 19.

Meanwhile, those who are still being treated at the Laos Hospital are the dead victims' colleagues named Holly Bowles.

In front of Australian Parliament members, Albanese explained that Jones had been evacuated from Laos to a hospital in Thailand but his life could not be saved.