Two Danish backpackers, who died after consuming alcohol laced with methanol in Laos, vomited blood for 13 hours before their deaths. Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, were found dead at Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng on November 14, after ingesting a batch of tainted alcohol. This same batch has been linked to four other deaths, including Australian teenagers Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, and has left 11 foreigners in critical condition, including a tourist from New Zealand.
The two women, originally from Roskilde, Denmark, were backpacking through Southeast Asia and planning to meet a Belgian man they met earlier in their travels. Before their deaths, they reportedly texted this man to inform him they had been vomiting blood for over 13 hours after drinking the methanol-laced alcohol.
A friend of the Belgian backpacker shared a post on social media, revealing the tragic situation. “The past few days I have been busy with a Belgian friend looking for two girls he travelled with,” the post, shared on Reddit, read. “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.”
DRINK SPIKING VANG VIENG
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Local police reported the two women had drinks at the hostel bar on November 12 before continuing their night at other venues. They returned to their room around midnight but were found unconscious on the bathroom floor by hostel staff around 6 pm the following day. Despite being rushed to the hospital, both were declared dead by 3:30 am on November 14.
Authorities believe the same batch of alcohol also poisoned a New Zealand tourist, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in New Zealand providing assistance for the affected individual. A spokesperson for the Ministry confirmed that the New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok was offering support to the tourists, though further details on their condition have not been disclosed.
The same methanol-laced alcohol is believed to have led to the deaths of two 19-year-old Australians who stayed at the same hostel. Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones had reportedly consumed cocktails with lethal amounts of methanol at the hostel bar on November 11, later complaining of breathing difficulties. They were rushed for medical help but died shortly after.
A spokesperson from Vang Vieng's Tourism Police said no charges have been filed yet, but several individuals are being questioned as part of the ongoing investigation. The Nana Backpacker Hostel, while still open, has temporarily stopped accepting new guests. The hostel confirmed that both the manager and owner have been taken in for questioning.
