The mother of a British lawyer who died after allegedly being served drinks laced with methanol in Laos has revealed the “horrendous” 16-hour journey she made to be at her bedside.
Simone White, 28, from Orpington, Kent, was one of a number of people taken to hospital after the incident in the popular backpacking town of Vang Vieng.
She was taken in for surgery just as her mother, Sue White, 61, arrived at the hospital.
If it can happen to her, it can happen to anybody
It later became clear that her brain function was gone, and she died on Thursday, November 21.
Sue White told The Sunday Times: “The flight from the UK was horrendous.
“Before I left, I got a call from the hospital to say she needed urgent brain surgery and I had to give my consent.
“It was a terrible, terrible journey.”
On the night she was poisoned, Simone and her friends drank six vodka shots served by the hostel, the newspaper reported.
Their condition worsened, and they decided to go to hospital.
Police in Laos have detained several people in connection with the death of Ms White and five others, who are also believed to have been poisoned.
She was a lawyer with global law firm Squire Patton Boggs, whose work involved general commercial matters, and contentious and non-contentious intellectual property law issues, according to the firm’s website.
Issuing a warning to travellers, her mother said: “Please be careful when it comes to drinks.
“Simone was a university educated, highly intelligent person.
“If it can happen to her, it can happen to anybody.”
Landlocked Laos is one of south-east Asia’s poorest nations and a popular tourist destination.
Vang Vieng is particularly popular among backpackers seeking partying and adventure sports.
Officials in Laos have released almost no details about the case, with the government keeping a tight lid on information.
The country is a one-party communist state with no organised opposition.