Australian tourists hospitalized after apparent severe alcohol poisoning in Laos party town

VANG VIENG, Laos (AP) — Two Australian tourists are being treated in Thailand for suspected severe alcohol poisoning after consuming tainted drinks in neighboring Laos, Australian media reported Tuesday.

The two 19-year-old women were on a backpacking vacation in Laos when they became ill in the tourist town of Vang Vieng, The Age newspaper in the women’s hometown of Melbourne reported.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that it was providing consular assistance to two Australians and their families in Thailand but could not provide further information for privacy reasons.

“Our thoughts are with them at this deeply distressing time,” the office said.

The Nana Backpacker Hostel where the two had stayed did not answer its phone.

But a worker there confirmed to The Age that the pair checked in on Nov. 9 and went out on the evening of Nov. 11 with a group of young people. The worker, who was not identified, said the women returned in the early hours of the morning.

An alarm was raised when the women failed to check out as planned on Nov. 13. When they were found by staff, the two said they were ill and the hostel sought medical help for them.

They were then transported to Thailand and are being treated at hospitals in Bangkok and Udon Thani, the newspaper reported. Their parents have flown in to be with them.

It was not clear what the two drank, but methanol is sometimes used as a cheap alternative to ethanol as the alcohol in mixed drinks at disreputable bars and can cause severe poisoning or death.

It was not immediately possible to verify reports that other tourists were also poisoned in the same incident.