One of the six tourists killed by suspected methanol poisoning went from confused to suffering a coma within half an hour, according to the first doctor to treat her.
Australian backpacker Holly Bowles, 19, died in hospital in Thailand on Friday, nine days after falling ill in the town of Van Vieng in Laos.
She, her best friend Bianca Jones, who died on Thursday, and the other four victims are believed to have drunk contaminated spirit shots handed out for free.
Dr Yaher, from the district hospital in Vang Vieng, was the first medical professional to treat Ms Bowles.
He told the Times: ‘She was confused and she was sleepy. We asked her what she had eaten or drunk, but she didn’t know what had happened.’
Dr Yaher thought she may have eaten too many cannabis-infused gummies that are common among tourists on the popular ‘banana pancake trail’ that they were taking.
After just 30 minutes she suffered a seizure and went into a coma, he said.
Ms Bowles, from Melbourne, was rushed by ambulance to Kasemrad International Hospital in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, before being moved to Setthathirath Hospital in the same city.
She was then transferred for treatment in neighbouring Thailand, where she died.
In a statement, Ms Bowles parents said: ‘It is with broken hearts, and we are so sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace.
‘We find comfort and solace in knowing that Holly brought so much joy and happiness to so many people.
‘Holly was living her best life travelling through South East Asia meeting new friends and enjoying incredible experiences.
‘As her parents we were always so incredibly proud of everything Holly did. Holly was an amazing big sister to James and she always looked out for him.’
Ms Bowles and Ms Jones had been travelling together on a gap year and were staying at Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng when they fell ill on November 12.
The following day they asked the hostel for help and staff arranged for them to be taken to hospital.
Hostel CCTV footage shows one of the young women on the back of a motorbike being driven to a local clinic by a member of staff.
The four other victims include British lawyer Simone White, 28, who was staying at the same hostel, and, according to The Age, US national James Louis Hutson, 57, and Danish holidaymakers Anne-Sofie Orkid Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21.
A number of people including a hostel owner have been detained by police after at least 14 people became critically ill.
No charges have yet been made.
Methanol is sometimes used in alcoholic drinks as a cheaper counterfeit alternative to ethanol.
It can be produced in toxic quantities when distilled and fermented without the appropriate monitoring.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
