British lawyer Simone White has become the fifth tourist to have died in a suspected mass poisoning in Laos, south-east Asia.
The UK’s Foreign Office confirmed the 28-year-old’s death on Thursday, saying: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Laos, and we are in contact with the local authorities.”
It comes after the family of 19-year-old Australian national Bianca Jones confirmed her death earlier on the same day.
Hours earlier, the US State Department told the media that an American man died in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.
Two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, also died last week in Laos, Danish authorities confirmed, declining to share more due to confidentiality concerns.
The deaths remain under police investigation, but news reports and testimonies online from other tourists suggest they may have consumed drinks laced with methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol.
Vang Vieng is a small, riverside town in central Laos and a hub for young Westerners backpacking across Southeast Asia. It’s home to the Banana Pancake Trail – a popular backpacking route spanning Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.