Six people are so far dead, with the cause suspected as methanol-tainted drinks in the town of Vang Vieng, Laos.

Holly Bowles, 19, has died in a Thailand hospital from methanol poisoning linked to Laos, which also claimed the life of her friend, Bianca Jones.

Methanol is a pure form of alcohol, typically found in industrial-strength products like paint stripper or petrol. It does not have a distinct smell or colour, and it’s toxic to humans.

Melbourne teenager Holly Bowles has died in a Thai hospital nine days after consuming a suspected methanol-tainted drink in Laos, her father has confirmed.

Holly Bowles, 19, passed away in a Bangkok hospital after being on life support, bringing the confirmed death toll to six.

An Australian teenager has become the sixth foreign tourist to die in a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos, as a growing list of countries warned of the potentially fatal consequences of drinking tainted alcohol in the Southeast Asian country.

A second Melbourne teenager has died following a mass methanol poisoning incident in Laos, bringing the confirmed death toll to six. The owner of a backpacker hostel where two young Australians were staying before they fell violently ill from methanol poisoning has been detained by police for questioning in Laos.

Holly Bowles has become the sixth person and second Australian to die after a suspected methanol poisoning event in Laos, her family has confirmed.

A second young Australian tourist died in a Thai hospital on Friday, bringing the death toll related to suspected methanol poisoning during a night out in a Laos backpacker hotspot

A second Australian teenager has died of suspected methanol poisoning, bringing to six the number of foreign tourists who have died after apparently drinking tainted alcohol in Laos. The family of Holly Bowles,