BANGKOK: Police in Laos have detained the manager and seven staff of a backpacker hostel in Vang Vieng following the deaths of six tourists from suspected methanol poisoning,

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.

Eight staff members at Laos hostel arrested over 'tainted shot' tourist deaths - All six victims were staying at the NANA Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng - a popular tourist spot

Southeast Asia has the "highest rates of methanol poisoning globally", said Al Jazeera, and this is often blamed on "economic pressures and weak regulations". Laos, despite its increasing popularity with backpackers, is one of the poorest nations in the region.

"Excited to embark on the trip of a lifetime, they travelled to Thailand and Laos to experience new cultures and create lasting memories together," read part of the fundraiser, wh

Police in Laos have detained eight members of staff at a backpacker hostel following the deaths of six tourists from suspected methanol poisoning last week. According to local media, those detained include workers and management from the Nana Backpacker Hostel in the town of Vang Vieng, where several of the tourists who later died had stayed.

Mass poisoning in Laos kills six foreign tourists, including two Australian teens, linked to methanol-tainted alcohol.

Officials arrested eight hostel workers in Laos on Monday for allegedly poisoning travelers with methanol, according to reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Tourists reported illnesses after consuming alcohol in the town of Vang Vieng,

Staff from a backpacker hostel have been detained after six tourists died from suspected methanol poisoning after a night out.View on euronews