Laos reportedly bans alcohol brand after 6 tourists die from suspected methanol poisoning

By Phan Anh November 30, 2024 | 06:19 pm PT

Laos has banned the sale and consumption of a local alcohol brand following the death of six foreign tourists due to alleged methanol poisoning.

The Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky beverages have been banned by the Lao government over the incidents, Australia travel advisory Smarttraveler said Friday.

"Lao authorities have issued an order prohibiting the sale and consumption of Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky due to concerns about these products being a health risk," said the advisory, a service from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The report has been cited by top British newspapers Guardian and The Independent, which said Laos state media has not reported on the ban so far.

Backpacker foreign tourists roam around in Vang Vieng, Laos, Nov. 22, 2024. Photo by AP

Earlier last month, six tourists from Australia, Denmark, the U.S. and the U.K. died after drinking alcohol while on a holiday in Vang Vieng.

The police detained a manager of Vang Vieng's Nana Backpacker Hostel and several employees at the facility, all of them Vietnamese, with the manager telling the press that he gave away free Lao vodka shots to around 100 tourists, CNA reported.

The Lao government said it would investigate the matter.