Briton Simone White dies after suspected mass poisoning in Laos

A British lawyer has died after a suspected methanol poisoning that is thought to have killed four others in Laos, south-east Asia.

Simone White, 28, from Orpington, south-east London, was among a number of people taken to hospital following the incident in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.

In a statement, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was supporting her family.

Earlier, Bianca Jones, 19, from Australia, was confirmed to have died while the US State Department said an American had died. Two Danish women aged 19 and 20 also died last week, Danish authorities said.

News reports and testimonies on social media from other tourists have suggested they may have consumed drinks laced with methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol.

Many of the victims were staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel with staff being told that guests had fallen ill after they failed to check out on 13 November.

Ms White was a lawyer with global law firm Squire Patton Boggs, whose work involved general commercial matters, contentious and non-contentious intellectual property law issues according to the firm’s website.

Vang Vieng is a small, riverside town in central Laos, about two hours north of the capital Vientane.

It is a hub for backpackers travelling across south-east Asia. It’s home to the Banana Pancake Trail – a popular backpacking route spanning Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Ms Jones’ friend Holly Bowles, who is also Australian, is in hospital on life support, according to Australian media reports.

New Zealand’s foreign ministry told local media on Thursday that one of its citizens was also unwell from suspected methanol poisoning.

The Netherlands’ foreign affairs ministry has said a Dutch tourist was sent to the hospital and remains in a stable condition. It is unclear how many others have fallen ill.

The US State Department has said it is “closely monitoring” the situation with regards to the American victim and it was up to local authorities to determine the cause of death.

Australian, New Zealand, and UK authorities have each warned their citizens to be careful of methanol poisoning when consuming alcohol in Laos.

Methanol is a colourless liquid that tastes similar to alcohol.

Drinking a relatively small amount can be lethal.

It is absorbed in the gut within minutes and then gets into the bloodstream. As the body attempts to clear methanol – breaking it down or metabolising it in the liver – an enzyme converts it to formaldehyde and formic acid.

Prof Alastair Hay, emeritus professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Leeds says this has major consequences, affecting breathing and attacking the nerves.

Partial or complete blindness from methanol poisoning is common, and if left untreated, it can lead to a coma and death.

Poisoning can be treated using alcohol (ethanol) to outcompete the methanol metabolism. But this has to be done quickly.

Additional reporting by PA Media.