An American man has died from a mass poisoning event in Laos that has also left two young Melbourne women fighting for their lives.
The US State Department confirmed the death of one of its citizens on Thursday in Laos tourism town of Vang Vieng, 130 kilometres north of the capital Vientiane.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports he was a 56-year-old, but no other details are known.
He is the third person thought to have died in a mass methanol poisoning in the town. Two Danish women aged 19 or 20 were the first confirmed deaths.
The incident has also left Melbourne 19-year-olds Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones clinging to life in separate Thai hospitals, with their worried families at their bedsides.
Jones and Bowes were staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng and drank there on November 11, before a night out at the nearby Jaidee bar.
They then did not leave their dorm room for 24 hours and reported feeling unwell on November 13.
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At least a dozen people have reportedly also been hospitalised after also drinking the substance.
Bowlesâ father Shaun spoke to media in Bangkok on Wednesday, saying his 19-year-old daughter was in intensive care in a critical condition and on life support.
âWeâd just like to thank everyone from back home for all the support and love that weâre receiving but weâd also like for people to appreciate right now we just need privacy so we can spend as much time as we can with Holly,â he said.
The Jones family also released a statement on the same day, flagging there was no change to their daughterâs condition and that it was âevery parentâs worst nightmareâ.
âOur beautiful Bianca was on a dream getaway with her best friend Holly,â they told the newspaper.â
Jonesâ family urged authorities to âget to the bottom of what happened as soon as possibleâ.
The SMH reports the investigation into the mass poisoning has ramped up as publicity has spread this week.
Bottles of alcohol were reportedly seized from the hostel this week to be taken for testing.
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It follows hostel manager Duong Duc Toan admitting he served free shots of locally made vodka to the two Australians â although he insisted that wasnât what made them sick.
He said the two women joined more than 100 other guests for free shots of Lao vodka. No other guests had reported issues, Toan said, adding that Jones and Bowles then went for a night out, returning early the next morning.
Toan said hostel staff were told by other guests that the women were unwell. They reportedly spent all of November 12 in their room, before going to reception saying they were âfeeling hard to breatheâ.
âThey come to tell my staff, âplease, can you help me, bring me to the hospitalâ,â the worker said, according to the Herald Sun.
A hostel worker took the girls to the hospital one-by-one on a motorbike.
Jones and Boyleâs football coach Nick Heath said the incident had been confronting for the womenâs former teammates.
âThis is right in their face, itâs not a Netflix documentary, itâs not some B-grade TV show, itâs real life. And it smacks you right in the face at a time when a lot of these kids dealing with VCE exams and uni exams and life in general,â he told The Project on Wednesday.
âItâs a very stressful time and a lot of them are planning their own holidays and trips, and wanting to have fun after a busy year. Then all of a sudden the realities of this hits you right between the eyes.â
University of Melbourne deputy director and head of emergency medicine George Braitberg said methanol tasted and smelt like standard alcohol and was often used as a substitute in illegal alcoholic beverages.
He said it would initially cause the same symptoms of drunkedness and could take eight-18 hours before the toxic effects were felt and possibly lead to multi-organ failure.
The chemical liquid contained a toxic metabolite known as formic acid, Braitberg said, which was concentrated in the eyes âcausing blurred vision and possible blindnessâ.
It then entered the brain leading to confusion, seizures and coma, before the acid built up in the body causing respiratory failure, circulatory shock and kidney failure, he said.
Braitberg said hospital treatment such as intravenous fluids, dialysis and intensive care could help people recover, and early action was key to survival.
â with AAP
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