The identities of the two Danish visitors who perished in Laos from probable methanol poisoning have been revealed.
Six international visitors were confirmed dead in a suspected mass poisoning that occurred earlier this week in the well-known tourist destination of Vang Vieng.
The two Danish ladies, who have now been identified, Australian friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, all 19, an unidentified American guy, and 28-year-old British national Simone White are among the dead.
The two ladies killed are Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, both from Roskilde, Denmark, according to a MailOnline article.
Eleven more foreign nationals are reportedly in hospitals at the moment.
Companions Before becoming unwell, Coyman and Sorensen reportedly stayed at the Nana Backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng while backpacking throughout Southeast Asia. As part of an ongoing investigation into the killings, local authorities have since detained the hostel’s manager and owner.
A Belgian man who had previously agreed to meet with the two women in Vang Vieng expressed concern about their welfare. Later, a friend of the man would inform nearby travelers of the terrible news that Coyman and Sorensen had died after ‘vomiting blood for 13 hours’.
“The past few days I have been busy with a Belgian friend looking for two girls he travelled with,” the individual added.
“They decided to meet at Vang Vieng, but no communication was possible for more than 72 hours.
The odd part was that they both reported vomiting blood for 13 hours in their most recent communication. Both of them have now passed away.
The Sydney Morning Herald obtained a local police report that claimed the two friends had gone to several bars in the area on November 12 before heading back to their accommodation at around midnight.
“Until November 13, they slept in the room and did not go out,” according to a translation of the paper.
“Coyman and Sorensen were sent to Vang Vieng Hospital after the guest home personnel discovered them unconscious on the bathroom floor at 6 p.m. They were in a coma at the time.
In the meantime, the Laotian government issued a formal statement expressing their “deepest condolences” to the relatives of the six victims and pledging to bring the criminals “to justice.”
“The Government of the Lao PDR is profoundly saddened over the loss of lives of foreign tourists in Vangvieng District, Vientiane Province, and expresses its sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” said the statement.
“The Lao PDR government has been investigating the tragedy to determine its causes and to prosecute those responsible in line with the law.
“The Government of the Lao PDR reaffirms that it always attaches importance and pays attention to the safety of both domestic and foreign tourists.”