Two women who died after 'methanol poisoning' in Laos sent worrying message to friend hours before death
Worrying messages from the two women who died in Laos after alleged methanol poisoning have been revealed.
Laos has been rocked by a case of suspected mass poisoning in the popular tourist town of Vang Vieng, which has seen six foreign nationals killed after consuming alcohol which may have contained methanol.
There has been a total of six tourist deaths in the town, with a further 11 people believed to be receiving treatment in hospital.
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The six individuals killed have since been identified as 28-year-old British national Simone White, Australian friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, 57-year-old American tourist James Louis Hutson and Danish friends Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21.
Authorities in the Southeast Asian country have since shared their 'deepest condolences' to the families of the six victims and pledged to bring the perpetrators 'to justice'.
It is understood that the manager and owner of Nana Backpackers Hostel, where several of the affected tourists had been staying, have since been detained for questioning. The hostel is still in operation but not accepting new guests.
Concern was raised over the welfare of Coyman and Sorensen, both from Roskilde, Denmark, by the friend of a Belgian man they had met while travelling through the region.
According to a report from MailOnline, the final messages sent between the women and the unnamed Belgian national saw the pair reveal they had been 'vomiting blood' after consuming the alcoholic drinks.
"The past few days I have been busy with a Belgian friend looking for two girls he travelled with," a friend of the Belgian man wrote online.
"For more than 72 hours, no contact could be made while they had agreed to meet in Vang Vieng.
"The strange thing was that their last message was that they had both been vomiting blood for 13 hours... They have both since died."
What is methanol poisoning?
Methanol is an industrial chemical and can be found in everyday products such as fuel, solvents and paint thinners.
Although similar in appearance and smell to ethanol - the component found in alcoholic drinks - methanol is not safe for human consumption, with just 25ml of methanol said to be lethal for the body.
Symptoms of methanol poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, changes to vision and abdominal pain. It can take up to 24 hours after consuming a methanol laced drink for symptoms to appear, as the chemical only becomes toxic once the body begins to metabolise it.
Anyone with suspected methanol poisoning is urged to seek medical attention straight away.
Topics: World News, Travel, Health, Alcohol
Brenna Cooper