There have been more arrests over the methanol poisoning deaths of two young Australians in Laos. Eight Vietnamese staff members from the Nana Backpackers hostel in the tourist town of Vang Vieng were arrested last week and the hostel was shut down.

Doctors have revealed a common treatment to slow the effects of methanol poisoning. It comes after six people died following a mass methanol poisoning in Laos, including Melbourne teenagers Bianca

Six people have died from methanol poisoning after staying at Nana Backpackers hostel: Simone White, Bianca Jones, Holly Bowles, Frela Vennervald Sorensen, 21, Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and James Louis Hutson, 57.

It comes after six tourists have died in the country, including a 57-year-old American man, after suspected methanol poisoning.

A woman has spoken out about the dangers of methanol poisoning after recalling a nightmare holiday in Bali that left her waking up blind in New Zealand, cl

Southeast Asia has the "highest rates of methanol poisoning globally", said Al Jazeera, and this is often blamed on "economic pressures and weak regulations". Laos, despite its increasing popularity with backpackers, is one of the poorest nations in the region.

The AP quickly deployed an all-formats team that dominated the story by providing voices and color from Vang Vieng, Laos, ahead of competitors.   AP’s