Laos government ‘profoundly saddened’ by tourist deaths from suspected methanol poisoning

Vang Vieng has been a fixture on the Southeast Asia backpacker trail since Laos’ communist rulers opened the country to tourism decades ago.

The town was once synonymous with backpackers behaving badly at jungle parties but has since rebranded as an eco-tourism destination.

The Vietnamese manager of the Nana Backpackers Hostel has been detained for questioning, the Laos tourist police told AFP. No charges have been made, however.

Police in Laos could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

Alcohol tainted with methanol, a toxic alcohol usually used in industrial and household products like antifreeze, is suspected to be the cause of the deaths.

It can be added to liquor to increase its potency but can cause blindness, liver damage…