The Australian government has increased its travel alert level for Laos, advising travellers to “exercise a high degree of caution” due to the risk of methanol poisoning, according to the Guardian.
The updated advice follows the charging of a distillery owner in Laos over a mass methanol poisoning incident. The Guardian reports that the incident killed six foreign nationals.
Among those who died were the Australian backpackers Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles.
The Guardian reports that the distillery owner could face only three months in jail over the alleged poisoning of the Australian teenagers.
The revised travel guidance is intended to alert Australians travelling to Laos to the ongoing risk associated with methanol poisoning.
Why it matters
Methanol poisoning from contaminated or illicit alcohol is a serious risk for travellers and can be fatal. The updated advice and the charges signal how governments respond when their citizens are harmed abroad, and highlight the potential gap between the severity of such incidents and the penalties involved.