Deadly alcohol poisoning casts shadow over the Laotian backpacker town

VANG VIENG, Laos (AP) — A little town known as a backpacker paradise in northern Laos has come under spotlight for a mass poisoning case that has killed at least six tourists and potentially injured scores of others.

News broke earlier this week that two Australian teens became critically ill after a night out drinking in the town of Vang Vieng. They died in Thai hospitals, with one confirmed case of methanol poisoning. A British woman was also confirmed dead. An American and two Danes also died, though their exact causes of death have not been released. A New Zealander has been sickened.

Since then, many tourists have become worried as it’s unclear how many have been affected, said Neil Farmiloe, a New Zealander who owns a restaurant in the town.

The incident has stirred up dark memories of the town once known for reckless partying involving young backpackers. But despite the tragedy, the town, especially at night, was packed by visitors in its main neighborhood bustling with bars, restaurants and food stalls. During the daytime, many kayaks floated along the river, with tourists shouting and splashing water at each other.

Frida Svedberg left Sweden five weeks ago for her big Southeast Asia trip with no firm return plan. She said she had heard about the news just before she arrived in Laos and has been bombarded with messages from concerned family members and friends. She still went ahead with her original plan to spend three nights in the town. She found it as beautiful as expected.

“Obviously it’s like a famous backpacker place. You go from Thailand Luang Prabang and then to Vang Vieng and then you keep going. I’ve just heard good things about it and it’s where most people go,” the 24-year-old said.

Landlocked Laos, a one-party communist state, is one of Southeast Asia’s poorest nations and a popular tourist destination, particularly Vang Vieng.

Soutjai Xayphankhaun, who has run his Sout Jai Guesthouse in Vang Vieng for 17 years, said the town back in 2005-2006 started to become popular among European backpackers, who were attracted by serene nature and activities like river tubing, where tourists sit on a tube and float along the Nam Song River, stopping to party at many different bars on the banks.

It could get rowdy with cheap booze, illegal drugs and river sports sometimes turning deadly. People drowned or took a fatal blow after jumping into the river on a rope swing. In 2011, the town recorded 27 deaths related to river activities, forcing the government to step in with regulations.

After that, Farmiloe said Vang Vieng has been receiving much more eclectic groups of tourists who enjoy a wider range of activities aside from nightlife. There are still a lot of young Western backpackers, but the town is also visited by many Chinese and South Koreans.

Tour agencies scattered along the main streets advertised a range of packages offering the clear turquoise water of the Blue Lagoon, serene mountaintop views and many different caves. Those more adventurous try kayaking, zip line, paragliding or hot air balloons. Tubing is still there, but with far fewer riverbank bars to visit than in the past.

Vang Vieng received more than 600,000 tourists in 2023, and expected to see even more this year, the state-owned Laos News Agency quoted the district governor as saying earlier this year.

But with the latest tourist deaths, guesthouse owner Soutjai is a little worried.

“It’s about tourists and the confidence of tourists. The news was all around the world. There will definitely be an impact,” he said.

Swedish tourist Anton Honkanen said what happened did affect his experience.

“I think it destroys the value of backpacking a little bit. Because everyone just enjoys this time. Maybe meeting some new people at the hostels, taking some drinks with all kinds of people from all around the world. And now I won’t do it today because of the poisoning,” he said.

Svedberg, however, said what happened was unfortunate and shouldn’t stop people from coming. “Things can happen anywhere, everywhere. So I think it doesn’t have to affect tourism. Just be cautious.”

The Nana Backpacker Hostel, where the two Australian teens stayed, shut its gate on Saturday. It had not been allowed to take new guests since early this week and was accommodating the remaining visitors until Friday. Its manager and owner, who are Vietnamese, have been detained for questioning by the Lao police.

Methanol is sometimes added to mixed drinks at disreputable bars as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but can cause severe poisoning or death. It is also a byproduct of poorly distilled homebrew liquor, and could have found its way into bar drinks inadvertently.

The Laotian government on Saturday officially acknowledged the case and promised to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Neil Farmiloe, a New Zealander who owns the Kiwi Kitchen restaurant, serves food to the foreign tourist in Vang Vieng, Laos, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Foreign tourists roam around in Vang Vieng, Laos, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Foreign tourists ride on boat in a river in Vang Vieng, Laos, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Backpacker foreign tourists roam around in Vang Vieng, Laos, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

A foreign tourist rests near a swimming pool at Nana Backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Cape Verde's magical start to its first World Cup isn't over. It might just be getting started.

The tiny island nation that stunned tournament favorite Spain last week did it again against Uruguay — a two-time World Cup champion — on Sunday, coming from behind for a 2-2 draw.

Kevin Pina scored on a free kick for Cape Verde's first-ever goal in the World Cup, and Helio Varela scored the equalizer for what has become one of the most surprising teams of the expanded 48-team tournament — a club now with a legitimate chance of getting into the knockout stage.

“This is something we owe to other smaller national teams,” Cape Verde coach Pedro Leitão Brito said through an interpreter. “Teams that struggled to qualify for a world tournament. We’re also here to show that a country may be small, may struggle financially, but if they are resilient, if they can endure struggle, they can also stand shoulder to shoulder with other major teams and with players who are on another level.”

The group of islands off Africa’s West coast have about 4,000 square meters (about 2.5 miles) of landmass and approximately a half million inhabitants, making Cape Verde the third-smallest nation by population to qualify for the World Cup.

Even as a large number of fans at Miami Stadium chanted for Uruguay throughout Sunday's match, Cape Verdean players seemed undaunted.

“Once you’re on the pitch, a lot of things become equal,” Leitão Brito said.

Cape Verdean fans who watched their squad pull off one of the stunners of the tournament last week by holding Spain to a scoreless draw continued their celebrations when Pina split Uruguay's wall and blasted a strike past diving goalie Fernando Muslera for a 1-0 lead in the 21st.

Maxi Araújo and Agustin Canobbio scored late first-half goals to put Uruguay ahead. But Varela, minutes after coming into the game in the second half, took advantage of a bad pass by Mathias Olivera and caught Muslera way off his line for a tying open-net goal and his first international score.

Varela celebrated by hopping into his teammates' arms and flexing atop their shoulders as Muslera and other Uruguay players dropped their heads in disappointment.

“The result, I think, was quite deserved,” coach Marcelo Bielsa said afterward through an interpreter.

It was Uruguay's second draw after a 1-1 finish against Saudi Arabia in their opener. La Celeste face Spain in their group stage finale, with an uphill climb to reach the knockout stage after failing to capitalize on several late chances to take the lead.

“The organizational mistakes that were made — that a squad makes — they always fall upon the driver,” Bielsa added. “What I mean by that is the head coach. ... There is no magical recipe whatsoever to fix them. It goes without saying we paid a very high cost for those mistakes.”

It was another special moment for Cape Verde's Vozinha, who became one of the tournament's breakout stars after shutting down Spain. The 40-year-old goalie had his mother in the stands for Sunday's match; she was unable to attend Cape Verde’s opening draw against Spain because she couldn’t obtain a visa.

It was also the first World Cup match with two starting goalies aged 40-plus. Muslera, who made his 18th World Cup appearance, turned 40 on June 16.

Vozinha waved at the crowd after the final whistle as his teammates ran to a section of Cape Verdean fans, who cheered and danced on their way out of the stadium as if they were celebrating a victory.

“You show up, you believe, and we work very hard as a team,” said Cape Verde defender Stopira. “I think all the world can see we play, we play very good, and we also have quality in the team. So now it’s on to the next game, and to try to reach the next one.”

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Cape Verde's Helio Varela controls the ball before scoring his side's second goal against Uruguay during the World Cup Group H soccer match in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Uruguay's Maxi Araujo, (20) scores his side's opening goal during the World Cup Group H soccer match against Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Cape Verde's Helio Varela, top, celebrates scoring his side's second goal against Uruguay during the World Cup Group H soccer match in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Cape Verde's Kevin Pina, second right, scores his team's first goalduring the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Cape Verde's Kevin Pina, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Cape Verde's Kevin Pina, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)