Australian teen dies after alcohol poisoning in Laos

 

A general view of the Bangkok Hospital Udon, where an Australian teenager was taken after drinking alcohol contaminated with methanol in Laos and passed away, in Udon Thani province, Thailand November 21, 2024.

An Australian teenager died Thursday in Laos, a week after drinking alcohol tainted with methanol.

Nineteen-year-old Bianca Jones is the fourth person to die since a group became sick during a night out in the town of Vang Vieng.

The other deaths include an American and two Danes.

"This is every parent\’s worst fear and a nightmare no one should have to endure," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told parliament on Thursday. "All Australians offer them our deepest sympathy in this time of heartbreak."

Vang Vieng is an area popular with backpackers located about 100 kilometers north of Vientiane.

Some information for this report was provided by from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters

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