Simone White’s reason behind demise revealed after British lawyer, 28, downed free pictures laced with methanol in Laos backpacker hotspot
British lawyer Simone White’s cause of death has been revealed after she drank methanol-laced shots in a Laos backpacking hotspot.
The 28-year-old died from a bleed on the brain after unwittingly being poisoned by the dangerous substance nine days before her death.
Simone was among several young women to die after reportedly being offered free vodka shots at the Nana Backpackers Hostel in traveller hotspot Vang Vieng.
Ms White, of Orpington, South London died on November 21 at the Kasemrad International Hospital in the Laos capital of Vientiane.
At the opening of an inquest into her death on Monday, a court heard she died of methanol toxicity leading to an intercranial haemorrhage.
Police in Laos are still investigating the incident, which killed five people.
Senior coroner Sarah Ormond-Walshe told the short hearing she expects delays as local authorities continue to look into the events.
She told the inquest: ‘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.’
Simone White, 28, died in Laos on November 21 after drinking methanol-laced shots
Ms White studied law at Newcastle University before taking the fast-track course at the BPP law school
The Nana Backpackers Hostel, where the incident took place
According to the Sun, she continued: ‘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.’
Australian Bianca Jones, 19, also died in the horrific incident alongside two Danish women in their 20s and a 56-year-old American man.
Ms White was an associate lawyer specialising in technology and intellectual property at the London office of the American law firm Squire Patton Boggs.
After completing her A-levels at St Olave’s Grammar School in Orpington, she studied law at Newcastle University before taking the fast-track course at the BPP law school.
Ms White’s friend, Bethany Clarke, a healthcare worker also from Orpington, took to the Laos Backpacking Facebook group to warn other travellers.
She said: ‘Urgent — please avoid all local spirits. Our group stayed in Vang Vieng and we drank free shots offered by one of the bars.
Ms White’s (left) was on holiday with her friend Bethany Clarke (right)
Ms Clarke, a healthcare worker also from Orpington, took to the Laos Backpacking Facebook group to warn other travellers
Bianca Jones, 19, was the fourth person to die after consuming alleged ‘methanol-laced’ drinks in Vang Vieng, Laos
‘Just avoid them as so not worth it. Six of us who drank from the same place are in hospital currently with methanol poisoning.’
Hostel manager and bartender Duong Duc Toan, who served the shots, denied it was his Tiger Vodka that had made the tourists sick.
He was later arrested alongside seven other members of staff by police.
Methanol is sometimes found in alcoholic drinks in southeast Asia as a cheaper, counterfeit alternative to ethanol.
The Foreign Office has issued guidance to Britons travelling to the country, warning them against consuming replica alcohol brands that may contain hidden amounts of methanol.
This is a breaking news story and is being updated.
