The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its condolences after a second Australian teen transferred from Laos to be treated for methanol poisoning after drinking tainted liquor, died on Sunday.
In a post on X, MFA spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said he was saddened by the death of the young tourist, and conveyed his condolences to the family.
To date, six people -- two Danes, an American, a Briton and two Australian -- have died from suspected methanol poisoning after drinking tainted liquor in Vang Vieng, Laos. They were a part of a group of about a dozen people who fell ill after a night out on Nov 12.
Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister, Penny Wong, said the government will continue to press Lao authorities to conduct an investigation.
Methanol is a highly toxic substance that some alcohol bootleggers and moonshine distillers add to their liquor or spirits to raise its potency. It can cause blindness, liver damage and death.
Separately, the "Drama-addict" FB page on Sunday posted a photo of the "counterfeit" vodka which it said was consumed by the group that fell ill in Laos.
The page claimed the booze was produced in a "neighbouring country" and not Thailand, as suggested by a post which had gone viral on social media earlier.
Drama-addict said the hotel at the centre of the issue claimed hundreds of customers have drunk this liquor without any issues. "It's possible that only some bottles are tainted with methanol," the post claimed.
On Saturday, the Lao government said it was "profoundly saddened" by the deaths of foreign tourists in Vang Vieng.
The Laos Ministry of Foreign Affairs website expressed "sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased", adding an investigation was underway to find the cause of the incident.
The Vietnamese manager of the Nana Backpackers Hostel has been detained for questioning, while UK and Australian authorities have warned their citizens to be careful while consuming alcohol in Laos.