Eight Hostel Employees Arrested in Laos After Tourists Suffer Alcohol Poisoning

vang vieng - Eight hostel employees have been arrested by the police in Laos after six tourists died from toxic alcohol consumption.

The fatalities were tourists from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Denmark. Other tourists, including a Dutch national, had to be hospitalized after consuming complimentary shots. It is suspected that methanol was added to the drinks, a practice sometimes used in the region to cut costs but can be extremely dangerous. Laos authorities expressed being 'deeply saddened' by the deaths of the foreign tourists and vowed to punish those responsible.

Nightclubs and shops in Vang Vieng have immediately ceased serving popular shots in the area following the incident. The traditional shot, a whiskey-like strong liquor made from rice, is no longer being distributed.