Tributes have been paid to the “beautiful, kind and loving” British tourist Simone White, one of six people to die in a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos.
The six died after allegedly being served drinks laced with methanol in Vang Vieng, a town popular with backpackers. These include the Australian teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, an American man and two Danish women aged 19 and 20.
In a statement, White’s parents said they were “devastated by the loss of our beautiful, kind and loving daughter Simone”.
“Simone was one of a kind and had the most wonderful energy and spark for life. She was a soul who gave so much to so many and was loved by her family, friends and colleagues,” they said.
“Simone has been taken from us too soon. She will be sorely missed by her brother, grandmother and entire family. Our hearts go out to all other families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.”
White, from Orpington in south-east London, was described as a talented lawyer with a bright future, in a tribute from her employer, the global law firm Squire Patton Boggs.
“It is with deep sadness that we mourn the tragic passing of our dear friend and colleague Simone White,” the company said. “Simone was a talented colleague with a bright future ahead of her and someone who epitomised our firm values. She will be sincerely missed.”
A number of people have been detained in the case, but no charges have yet been filed, according to Associated Press.
Those detained include the manager and owner of the Nana backpacker hostel, where it is a believed at least two of the victims were staying and had drank in before they became ill.
Previous visitors to Vang Viong said they had concerns about alcohol policies at a number of venues in the town.
“Nana’s is very well known for its two-hour unlimited spirits every night. I think it’s either vodka or rum but you don’t have to be a hostel guest to go. When I went it was heaving, so busy,” said 25-year-old Hal, from Staffordshire, who visited Vang Viong in February and stayed down the road from Nana backpacker hostel.
“A lot of the hostels in Vang Viong do drink offers, my hostel did one free drink every night which I think was a local rum.”
She said tourists were often warned to be careful about which bars they drank in, and what drinks they consumed, but it was difficult to do so.
“A lot of people will say, ‘Be careful, only drink in licensed bars’, but a lot of the time you are in licensed bars and you don’t know what they’re selling. With spirits, because you’re in rural Asia, it’s often not brands that you’ve heard of, and they can refill bottles with other stuff too.
“It’s very scary and it’s so upsetting what’s happened – it’s so easy for something to go wrong like this.”
James Fahey, 33, a travel blogger, visited the town last year while on a nine-month backpacking trip through Asia.
“It is up there with one of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen. But it is known for being a party town,” he said. “The alcohol is very cheap. And it gets a little bit tricky if you’re getting cocktails and you see them behind the bar, they’re pulling different bottles and they might not be labelled. In essence, you don’t know what you’re getting, you’re trusting it a lot.
“Hearing about the deaths, it made me stop because there’s nothing that meant it couldn’t have been us. It really is a shock to think that people have gone to somewhere like Vang Viong for the time of their lives. And then the absolute worst thing can happen in a few hours.”
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