Amongst the tourists who tragically lost their lives were American traveller James Louis Hutson, 57, 28-year-old British woman Simone White and two Danish travellers Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Frela Vennervald Sorensen, 21.

Eight staff members of a backpacker hostel in Laos have been detained by local authorities as they investigate the deaths of six foreign tourists from suspected methanol poisoning, according to state-affiliated media in the Southeast Asian country.

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

Simone White, 28, from Orpington, Kent, was one of a number of people taken to hospital after the incident in the popular backpacking town of Vang Vieng last week

The problem with methanol poisoning is that it looks very much like alcohol poisoning. And delays in treatment can be fatal.

Police in Laos have arrested eight people over the suspected mass methanol poisoning which killed six foreign tourists in backpacking hotspot Vang Vieng.

Laos party-goers are on edge and sticking to beer after six tourists were killed by 'methanol poisoning', with backpackers in the south-east Asian town in Laos speaking of their experiences

In the days after backpackers in Laos began falling violently ill due to suspected methanol poisoning, travellers tried desperately to warn each other about the hostel at the centre of the scandal.

Police in Laos have detained the manager and seven staff members of a backpacker hostel in Vang Vieng following the deaths of six tourists from suspected methanol poisoning, state media reported Tuesday.

Police in Laos have detained the manager and seven other members of staff at a backpacker hostel following the deaths of six tourists from suspected methanol poisoning. The tourists - two Australians,