Briton Simone White dies after suspected mass poisoning in Laos

Briton Simone White has died after a suspected methanol poisoning thought to have killed four others in Laos, south-east Asia.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Laos, and we are in contact with the local authorities.”

It comes after Australian teen Bianca Jones’ death was confirmed by her family, and the US State Department told the media that an American man died in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.

Two Danish women aged 19 and 20 also died last week in Laos, Danish authorities confirmed, declining to share more information due to confidentiality concerns.

News reports and testimonies on social media from other tourists have suggested they may have consumed drinks laced with methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol.

Many of the victims were staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel with staff being told that guests had fallen ill after they failed to check out on 13 November.

Ms White, from Orpington, south-east London, was a lawyer with global law firm Squire Patton Boggs, whose work involved general commercial matters, and contentious and non-contentious intellectual property law issues, according to the firm’s website.

Ms Jones’ friend Holly Bowles, who is also Australian, is in hospital on life support, according to Australian media reports.

Vang Vieng is a small, riverside town in central Laos and a hub for backpackers travelling across south-east Asia. It’s home to the Banana Pancake Trail – a popular backpacking route spanning Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

New Zealand’s foreign ministry told local media on Thursday that one of its citizens was also unwell from suspected methanol poisoning. And the Netherlands’ foreign affairs ministry said that a Dutch tourist was sent to the hospital but is in stable condition. It is unclear how many others have fallen ill.

The US State Department said it was “closely monitoring” the situation with regards to the American victim, adding that it was up to local authorities to determine the cause of death.

Australian, New Zealand, and UK authorities have each warned their citizens to be careful of methanol poisoning when consuming alcohol in Laos.