Simone White cause of death revealed after tragic Brit lawyer, 28, drank ‘fake booze’ laced with methanol on Laos trip
A BRITISH lawyer died from a bleed on the brain after she was poisoned by methanol while on holiday in Laos, an inquest heard.
Simone White, 28, died in hospital nine days after consuming free vodka shots that are thought to have been laced.
Ms White began to feel unwell after being served drinks with pals at the Nana Backpackers Hostel in traveller hotspot Vang Vieng.
An opening of Ms White’s inquest yesterday (Tuesday) heard the tourist died of methanol toxicity and an intracranial haemorrhage.
Laos cops are conducting a “complex” investigation into the suspected fatal poisoning of Ms White and five other tourists, it was heard.
Ms White, of Orpington, South London, died on November 21 at private Kasemrad International Hospital in the capital Vientiane.
Senior coroner Sarah Ormond-Walshe told the short hearing she expects delays as local authorities continue their probe.
She said: “I’ve ordered a post-mortem that has taken place, histology has been taken and specialist neuropathologist is examining the brain. That will take some time.
“In the meantime, the details from Laos are that she died on the 21st November 2024 at 15.13pm.
“Her main cause of death they give is, 1: methanol toxicity, and 2: intracranial haemorrhage.
“There is an investigation going on in Laos. I don’t have any jurisdiction to ask for any papers there but clearly I will be once that investigation is finished.
“There will be an inquest but it is normally quite some time to have to wait to get documents from abroad.
“We are also waiting for the specialist histopathology results and the family will be updated with those as soon as we have them and once the investigation abroad has finished we will be asking for the papers.”
The inquest at South London Coroners’ Court was adjourned until a later date.
On the night she was taken ill, Ms White and her childhood pals drank six shots mixed with Sprite from a local shop, her mum said.
Their condition worsened and they decided to go to hospital.
Her friends survived, but Newcastle University graduate Ms White died.
Ms White’s mother, Sue, 61, a travel agent, who embarked on a 16-hour flight to be with her daughter, had to make the agonising decision to turn off her ventilator as her condition worsened.
The mum-of-two said: “Simone was such a popular, fun-loving girl, who was hugely well thought of.
“What’s happened is absolutely tragic, she had everything going for her.”
Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19; James Louis Hutson, a 57-year-old American; and Danish citizens Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, also died.
Local police arrested the manager and seven staff members of the hostel where the drinks were served. The hostel remains closed.
Why is methanol so deadly?
METHANOL is a super-toxic version of alcohol that may be present in drinks if added by crooks to make them stronger or if they are brewed or distilled badly, writes The Sun's health correspondent Sam Blanchard.
The consequences can be devastating because as little as a single shot of contaminated booze could be deadly, with just 4ml of methanol potentially enough to cause blindness.
Prof Oliver Jones, a chemist at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, said: “The body converts methanol to formic acid.
“Formic acid blocks the action of an enzyme that is critical to how the body uses oxygen to generate energy.
“If it stops working, cells cannot take up or use oxygen from the blood and lack of oxygen causes problems in a range of organs as the cells start to die.
“Symptoms of methanol poisoning include vomiting, seizures and dizziness.
“The optic nerve seems to be particularly vulnerable to methanol toxicity, so there is the potential for temporary or permanent blindness, and even death.
“While thankfully rare, methanol poisoning is very serious, and treatment should be given at a hospital.”
An unexpected but key way of treating methanol poisoning is to get the patient drunk with normal alcohol – known as ethanol – to distract the liver and stop it processing the methanol.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is following the case closely, Ms Ormond-Walshe added.
In an update provided to the coroner, the FCDO said: “The ambassador and consular team recently met with the director general of the Consulate Department of Registry Foreign Affairs.
“They confirm the investigation is ongoing and complex.
“Our ambassador requested the British embassy in Vientiane is updated as soon as any information is available recognising the inquiry will take time and a report will not be issued until conclusion of the Laos police investigation.”
Methanol – commonly found in industrial and household products such as paint thinners – is a colourless chemical substance sometimes used in bootleg booze.
It is sometimes used as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but is extremely toxic.
Consuming just 25ml – roughly half a shot – can be lethal, but it can take up to 24 hours for victims to start showing signs of illness, with symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain.
Danish friends Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald, 21, who were also victims of the laced booze died after they vomited blood for 13 hours.
It is not yet known how these drinks could have been spiked but some locals revealed how a factory error could have led to the disaster, The Sun previously reported.