Melbourne teenagers in hospital after drinking potentially harmful cocktails in Laos

Two Melbourne teenage girls are reportedly fighting for their lives in hospitals in Thailand after drinking tainted cocktails in Laos.

The young women, believed to be 19 years old, were staying at a tourist hostel in Vang Vieng, a popular party town north of the capital Vientiane.

According to the owner of Nana Hostel, they had been drinking at a nearby bar last Tuesday night and were taken to hospital early Wednesday morning after they fell ill.

A doctor at Vang Vieng Hospital told ABC that the women arrived at about 2:30 a.m. local time on November 13.

“When they arrived, they looked drunk, tired and breathing hard, but they were still able to communicate and move around,” he said.

He added that one of the women was experiencing dizziness, chest tightness and breathing problems.

“The doctor gave her intravenous fluids. She later had a seizure and then fell into a coma. The doctor intubated her and they were both sent to Settathirat Hospital in Vientiane.”

They are believed to have then been transferred to two separate hospitals in Thailand – one in Bangkok and the other in Udon Thani, in the north-east of the country.

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government was providing consular assistance to two Australians and their families in Thailand.

“Our thoughts are with them at this deeply troubling time,” he said.

“Due to our confidentiality obligations, we are unable to provide further comment.”

At least two people are known to have died and at least 10 have become ill after consuming tainted alcohol.

Other travelers posted warnings on social media about possible methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng.

“Urgent – please avoid all local alcoholic beverages. Our group stayed in Vang Vieng and we drank the free shots offered at one of the bars. Just avoid them as they are not worth it. Six of us who were drinking at the same place are now in the hospital with methanol poisoning,” wrote one user.

Others speculated that the girls had consumed suspicious drinks at the hostel they were staying at, but owner Duong Van Huan denied this.

“This has never happened in a hostel. My business takes care of everyone. We never do anything wrong.

“I don’t know what happened, but in the hostel we only sell drinks, whiskey, cocktails, and the police have already checked everything.

“All the alcohol we have is safe. This has not happened in eight years.”

The ABC was unable to confirm with Laos police whether they were investigating the incident.

The tragedy comes months after six people died in Bangkok and another 31 were hospitalized after drinking the local alcohol, which has added methanol.

Methanol is a clear liquid chemical that is often intentionally and illegally added to alcoholic beverages as a cheaper alternative to ethanol. Consuming even a small amount can be fatal.