A year after her childhood friend died in a mass methanol poisoning incident in Laos, British traveller Bethany Clarke is still grappling with grief and a lack of answers.
On November 12 last year, Clarke had joined 28-year-old lawyer Simone White and another friend for a spontaneous side trip to Vang Vieng, a riverside party town popular with backpackers.
After a night out at a hostel serving complimentary shots, all three fell dangerously ill. White would not survive.
Six tourists died in total – including two Australians, two Danes and one American – after consuming locally brewed spirits that contained methanol, a toxic form of alcohol.
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Six tourists die after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos party town
Six tourists die after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos party town
A year on, Clarke said she still felt “empty and numb”.
“It has been quite dark and it has not been the best week, but we still want justice,” she told This Week in Asia from Australia, where she now lives.
