American Citizen Among Casualties of Suspected Liquor Poisoning From Free Shots at a Popular Tourist Destination

A 56-year-old American was added to a mounting tally of casualties due to a mass poisoning at a tourist destination. (Photo by: Soeren Stache/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Thursday that an American citizen now marks the third casualty of a suspected mass poisoning due to methanol-tainted liquor at a tourist town in Laos called Vang Vieng.

His death was confirmed by the U.S. State Department after over ten people exhibited severe symptoms of what authorities believed to be methanol poisoning. Two Danish citizens and an Australian citizen have died. Sky News reported a British tourist died Thursday morning.

Sky News reported that the name of the deceased was Simone White, and she began to exhibit symptoms of methanol poisoning after drinking what the outlet reported were “free shots” from a bar in Vang Vieng.

According to NBC News, the U.S. State Department did not reveal the American victim’s identity to give the family privacy at this time.

“We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss,” a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department shared with NBC News on Thursday.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the U.S. State Department was monitoring the situation. The Herald reported that authorities in Laos claimed the American citizen was 56 years old.

The Australian news organization criticized the Laos government’s handling of the case, and claimed the “police appeared to be escalating what had been a lackluster and low-profile investigation.”

The Herald reported that it took authorities over a week to visit the hostel after the victims fell ill.

A manager named Duong Duc Toan admitted he offered the Australian tourists free vodka shots, yet claimed the vodka was not the reason the tourists fell ill. The Herald reported that over 100 guests were served Laotian vodka as a welcome shot.

Methanol poisoning is a risk in other countries as well. In June 2023, a batch of poisoned cider resulted in a 16-person death toll in Russia. 35 people were hospitalized.

In early November, an individual named Dennis R. Zeedyk was ordered by the court to face 48 months in prison and a year of release under probation after he distilled methanol-tainted alcohol that killed three individuals who drank it in Indiana. Zeedyk owned a glycerin manufacturing and trading company.