- Two Australians died after drinking at a hostel in Laos
- Eight employees have been arrested
Several employees of a backpackers hostel at the center of a suspected mass poisoning in Laos that killed six foreign tourists have been arrested by police.
Eight employees of the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, aged between 23 and 47, were taken into custody on Monday following arrests by Vang Vieng police, a local news site reported.
All those arrested are believed to be Vietnamese nationals.
Melbourne teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both aged 19, were among six foreign tourists who died last week after falling ill.
Ms Jones and Ms Bowles were evacuated to a separate hospital in Thailand on November 13.
Ms Jones died surrounded by loved ones at Udon Thani Hospital on Thursday and Ms Bowles died at nearby Bangkok Hospital on Friday.
Two young Danish women, a British lawyer and an American man in his 50s also died from the contaminated drinks.
Local reports suggest another 12 foreign tourists have been hospitalized after drinking at the Nana Backpacker Hostel.
Melbourne teenagers Bianca Jones (pictured) and Holly Bowles have died after a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos
Early tests showed methanol was present in beer and spirits at the site.
The news comes three days after the Lao government broke its silence on the suspected mass poisoning.
On Saturday, authorities vowed to “bring the perpetrators to justice” and said they were “deeply saddened” by the tragedy.
“The government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is deeply saddened by the loss of lives of foreign tourists in Vangvieng District, Vientiane Province, and extends its sincere condolences and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” it said.
“The Lao PDR government has conducted investigations to determine the causes of the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law.
“The Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic reaffirms that it always attaches importance and attention to the safety of both domestic and foreign tourists.”
There’s more to come.
Eight employees of the Nana Backpacker Hostel, where Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles (pictured) drank, were arrested