The Laos government said on Saturday (Nov 23) that it was "profoundly saddened" by the deaths of foreign tourists in Vang Vieng, with the toll from a suspected methanol poisoning incident now at six.

Details have been murky over the number of tourists affected and the possible source of the methanol-laced drinks.

The victims were an American, two Danes, two Australians, and a Brit. Australia's prime minister called the ordeal "every parent's very worst fear."

The deaths of six foreign tourists linked to a suspected mass methanol poisoning has thrown a spotlight on a small town in Southeast Asia that has worked hard in recent years to shed its reputation for excess.

The Laotian government on Saturday officially acknowledged the mass poisoning that has killed at least six tourists, pledging it would bring perpetrators to justice

A second Australian teenager who fell critically ill after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos has died, according to a family statement sent to Australian media.

An Australian teenager has died after drinking tainted alcohol in Vang Vieng, Laos, Australia’s prime minister said, and the U.S. State Department confirmed an American also died in the same party town,

Two Australian teenagers and a British woman have died from suspected methanol poisoning after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos

Simone White and Bethany Clarke have both been named as it emerged that four people have died following an incident in the backpacking hotspot of Vang Vieng in Laos