Suspected methanol poisoning from tainted drinks has reportedly killed six tourists in a Laos holiday town in the past fortnight. A British woman, two Australian women, a US man and two Danish nationals have died. The deaths remain under police investigation, but reports suggest they may have consumed drinks tainted with methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol. Methanol poisoning has long been a well-known issue across South East Asia, particularly in the poorer countries along the Mekong river.

But despite foreign governments posting warnings about alcohol consumption in these places, there is still little awareness among the backpacker party scene. Flavourless and colourless, methanol is hard to detect in drinks and victims typically don’t see symptoms of poisoning straight away. And in countries like Laos – one of the poorest and least developed in Asia – the problem arises from alcohol suppliers exploiting an environment where there is low law enforcement and almost no regulation in food and hospitality industries. (BBC)

Photo: Towns like Vang Vieng in Laos – where the fatal poisonings took place – are known stops on the backpacking trail through South East Asia. (Getty Images)