Laos police have arrested three more staff members from a hostel believed to be the source of a suspected methanol poisoning that killed six tourists.
9News understands at least 11 staff from Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng have now been taken into custody as part of investigations into potentially tainted drinks.
Two Melbourne teenagers, friends Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, died hours apart in a Thai hospital last week.
Their bodies have since been flown back to Australia.
US man James Louis Hutson, 57, British lawyer Simone White, 28, and Danes Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Frela Vennervald Sorensen, 21, have been named as the four other tourists who died.
A third Australian was later confirmed to have fallen ill but was last known to be recovering in hospital in a stable condition.
It’s believed the source of the deadly outbreak is a rundown factory outside Vientiane that was making Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky.
The factory has been ordered to close and the owner has been arrested.
Laos has banned the sale and consumption of Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky after the deaths of the tourists.
SmartTraveller has warned Australians in Laos to avoid consuming the products due to “serious safety concerns”.
Investigations remain ongoing.
