Laos Hostel linked to tourists poisoning due to reopen under new name
According to a report of the BBC released in June, the Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng, Central Laos, will reopen under a new name. The hostel was at the center of a frightening story of poisoning.
Six backpack tourists visiting Vang Vieng died last November after absorbing drinks laced with methanol at the Nana Backpacker Hostel. In its investigation, BBC Newsbeat found evidence the hostel is due to reopen at the same address in August.
The BBC asked one of the survivors to the poisoning, who believes that the same management will be in charge of the renamed hostel. The BBC reports to have effectively identify a listing for Vang Vieng Backpackers Hostel on travel websites Tripadvisor and Agoda. Pictures of the property and comments relate however to the Nana Backpackers Hostel…
A link that previously took users to the Nana hostel’s page redirects them to the Vang Vieng Backpackers page. However, following a comment from one internaut on Tripadvisor, all the booking dates have been blocked. Agoda still keeps the old name of Nana on its website. However, bookings are also not possible.
BBC Newsbeat was told by Tripadvisor that proof of ownership was not required to change the name on a listing.
Secretive behavior of Laotian authorities
Meanwhile, Laotian authorities remained mostly silent following the poisoning of the six tourists. In February, families of the deceased in Australia, Denmark and the UK explained to the British newspaper The Guardian that they have not directly communicated with the Lao government since the deaths. The families publicly criticized the authorities for a lack of transparency and engagement.
Despite clear suspicions of methanol poisoning, Laos authorities also rejected foreign assistance from Australian police and failed to conduct autopsies, citing limited medical capabilities. The victims’ bodies were embalmed before repatriation, preventing postmortem toxicology tests abroad. Death certificates listed “acute heart failure” as the cause of death…
The UK, Denmark and Australia regularly applied diplomatic pressure. However little progress has been made although Laotian authorities promised to investigate the deaths and ensure accountability. Employees of the Nana Backpackers Hostel, arrested last November, were surprisingly released earlier this year. The potential reopening of the hostel under another name is further proof of the burial of this dark affair.
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