Brit lawyer Simone White, 28, dies in ‘methanol-laced alcohol poisoning’ that left 4 others dead in backpacking hotspot

While on vacation in Laos, a British barrister probably consumed a drink tainted with methanol, which led to his death.

After becoming ill last week, 28-year-old Simone White of Orpington, Kent, became the sixth tourist to pass away.

Bianca Jones, a 19-year-old Australian tourist, was confirmed deceased just hours prior.

According to reports, the event also claimed the lives of an American and two Danish ladies in their twenties.

After allegedly being served tainted drinks at a Vang Vieng bar, at least 11 people—including British people—remain in the hospital.

According to The Times, Simone worked as an associate attorney at the American legal firm Squire Patton Boggs in London, where she focused on technology and intellectual property.

She attended St. Olave’s Grammar School in Orpington for her A-levels before attending Newcastle University to study law.

After that, the British student completed an accelerated course at the BPP law school.

An urgent warning was posted on the Laos Backpacking Facebook page by Simone’s friend Bethany Clarke.

She wrote: Please stay away from all local spirits immediately. We drank free shots from one of the pubs while we were in Vang Vieng.

“Just stay away from them; it’s not worth it. Currently, six of us who shared a drinking location are hospitalized due to methanol poisoning.

Bethany went on to say that she was extremely tired, fainted, felt queasy, and then her liver began to shut down.

She went on: I arrived at the private hospital on schedule, but I had to endure several infusions, medications, and recuperation days.

Meanwhile, on November 13, Bianca Jones was taken to a hospital in neighboring Thailand after becoming ill in Vang Vieng, a location that is well-liked by international travelers.

On Thursday, the teenager from Melbourne, Australia, passed away.

That night, she was accompanied by her 19-year-old friend Holly Bowles, who is now in the hospital on life support.

“The doctor who examined her stated that the cause of death was methanol poisoning, from fake liquor,” a Thai police official told Reuters.

“The amount of methanol in her body was high, leading to swelling of the brain.”

In the past, the governments of Australia and the United Kingdom have cautioned tourists about drinking alcohol in Laos.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, methanol is a hazardous alcohol that is utilized in industry as a fuel source, solvent, and insecticide.

More than 100 guests were given complimentary shots of Lao Tiger vodka mixed with ice and Coke Zero, according to Duong Duc Toan, manager of the Nana Backpackers guesthouse where some of the victims were sleeping.

He claimed that his employees had not interfered with the booze, which came from a licensed distributor.

“Every hostel, hotel, and bar in Vang Vieng is currently being told by the police to stop selling drinks,” he told the Associated Press.

“The police in Vang Vieng and [the capital] Vientiane have already come to the hostel to check the shop [where] we buy the vodka, check the shop [where] we buy the whisky,” Toan told the Australian station ABC.

We definitely don’t do anything incorrectly. I genuinely look after every guest [who] stays at our hotel and hostel.

The alleged poisoning is being investigated by Laos police.

Following an incident in Laos, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office stated: We are in communication with the local authorities and are offering consular assistance to British individuals and their families.”

Through the Foreign Office, the British government sent out an urgent warning to travelers about the presence of fake alcohol on the market in the well-known backpacking destination.

According to the FCDO, methanol has been utilized in the production of fake imitations of popular alcohol brands or illicit regional spirits, such as vodka.

If offered, especially for free, or while purchasing spirit-based beverages, you should exercise caution.

Do not consume alcohol if the labels, taste, or smell appear off.

It was recommended that travelers refrain from making their own alcoholic beverages, only purchase alcohol from authorized liquor stores, and only consume alcohol in authorized establishments.

Support for Simone’s family has been assured by the Foreign Office.

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

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