Hostel Staff Detained in Laos After Six Tourists Die of Alcohol Poisoning

Laos police have detained staff from a hostel where six foreign tourists are believed to have died of alcohol poisoning.

Transcript

00:00Lao police have detained staff from a hostel where six foreign tourists are believed to

00:05have died of methanol poisoning. The hostel had allegedly given guests free shots, which

00:12may have been tainted with methanol, a toxic substance often used to boost the alcohol

00:17content of drinks. The hostel is closed as police continue investigating. The deaths

00:23have drawn attention to high rates of methanol poisoning in Southeast Asia, where bootleg

00:28alcohol is commonly served to backpackers.