In wake of Laos backpacker deaths, questions linger in Vang Vieng

In the bars of the bustling Laos tourist town, visitors are nervous and information on the investigation into the deaths is scarce

The music is still playing and the alcohol is still flowing at the bars along one of the party streets in Vang Vieng. Inside a popular venue, a voice over the speaker announces a special offer on beers, as disco lights flicker on the floor. Small paper flags from nations across the world – from Britain to Gabon – hang from the ceiling.

Young people travel from all corners of the globe to party in the small town nestled in the Laos countryside. But Vang Vieng is under a global spotlight, following a suspected mass methanol poisoning that killed six foreign tourists, including two teenagers from Australia, two Danish citizens, a Briton and an American.

Topics

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