Laos says it cannot determine blame or cause for the deaths of six deaths linked to alcohol contaminated with methanol.

A Briton, two Australians, two Danish citizens and an American died in November 2024 after a night of partying in Vang Vieng.

Laos’ Ministry of Public Security said it had no evidence to establish whether the deaths “were caused by the actions of any individual or any particular cause, because no autopsies were performed on the bodies.”

Earlier this week it emerged that the distillery owner faces charges for selling unhealthy food products and operating an illegal business, but not for the deaths.

The charges together carry penalties of up to one year in prison and a fine of £829 (US$1,100; A$1,600) against those allegedly responsible.

In response, the Australian government said it was “deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed” that more serious charges had not been laid following the deaths of the six backpackers.

The Australian Foreign Ministry summoned the Lao ambassador to Canberra.

In its statement on Saturday, Laos’ Ministry of Public Security said authorities had not been allowed to conduct autopsies in 2024 and therefore “lacked the forensic evidence necessary to determine the cause of death.”

However, the ministry added, officials had found “excessive levels of methanol” in the vodka made by the distillery involved.

Among the victims were Simone White, a 28-year-old Briton, Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, 19, Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, both from Denmark, and American citizen James Louis Hutson, 57.

The free drinks are believed to have been contaminated with methanol, a toxic substance normally found in paint thinner but sometimes illegally mixed with alcohol to cut costs.

Poison is a colorless liquid that tastes similar to alcohol, and drinking a relatively small amount can be lethal.

It is absorbed in the intestine within minutes and then passes into the bloodstream. When the body tries to eliminate methanol (by breaking it down or metabolizing it in the liver), an enzyme converts it into formaldehyde and formic acid.

Many of the victims were staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel, where guests were unable to check out after falling ill on November 13.

Earlier this year, 10 people associated with the shelter were charged with destroying evidence, receiving suspended sentences and fines of $185 (£135) each.

Vang Vieng is a riverside town in central Laos and is a hub for backpackers traveling through Southeast Asia.

Last week, the British government launched a campaign warning tourists about the risks of methanol.

Some of the symptoms of methanol poisoning may include: