Authorities said they could not determine blame or the cause of the deaths in 2024 of six tourists previously linked to methanol-tainted alcohol because their families had refused to allow autopsies.
Two Danish citizens, an American, a Briton and two Australians died following what media reports said was a night out on the town in Vang Vieng in November that year.
“To date, authorities do not yet have evidence that can establish whether the deaths... were caused by the actions of any individual or by any particular causes,” the Laos Ministry of Public Security said in a statement yesterday.
“This is because the authorities were not permitted to conduct autopsies on the bodies of the deceased, and therefore lacked the forensic evidence necessary to determine the cause of death.”
However, the statement said: “The Ministry of Health’s Food and Drug Research Center found excessive levels of methanol in Tiger Vodka.”
Methanol is a toxic alcohol that can be added to liquor to increase its potency but can cause blindness, liver damage and death.
The statement said, based on information provided by the Australian Embassy and a Thai hospital, that “methanol had been detected in the blood of the two deceased Australian tourists”.
It said legal proceedings had been initiated against the owner of the distillery for “manufacturing or selling products hazardous to health” and “illegal commercial operation”.
The owner and 10 employees of the hostel where the American tourist was staying have also been charged with “destruction of evidence” after transporting his body to hospital.
The pace of the investigation has been a source of contention between Canberra and Vientiane.
“The Australian Government is deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed that authorities in Laos are not pursuing the most serious charges,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday.
Wong said she would again put Australia’s views directly to her Laos counterpart at a South-East Asian ministerial meeting in Manila next week.
Australian authorities have warned travellers to Laos to “be alert” to the risks of consuming spirits-based drinks, including cocktails. — AFP
