Laotian authorities will hold a press conference this week on the 2024 deaths of two Danish backpackers who died after suspected methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng.
The press conference is scheduled for 17 July at Laos’ Ministry of Public Security. It is expected to be led by the head of the country’s investigation department.
According to Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Danish Embassy in Hanoi has been invited to the event. The invitation reportedly refers directly to the deaths of Anne-Sofie Ørkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sørensen, 21, describing them as “the tragic deaths of two Danish citizens.”
Representatives from the British and Australian embassies, along with local media, have also been invited.
The two women died in November 2024 after drinking alcohol contaminated with methanol while travelling through Laos. Their deaths were part of a wider poisoning incident that claimed the lives of six foreign tourists, including two Australians, one British woman and one American man. All had stayed at Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng.
The families of the two Danish women have previously criticised the handling of the case by both Laotian and Danish authorities. They said they waited three days before being contacted by Danish police after their daughters died.
Since then, the father of one of the women says the dialogue with Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Police has improved. He said the family has now held three productive meetings with the authorities and believes Denmark continues to press Laos for answers.
The father welcomed the upcoming press conference as a sign that the Laotian authorities officially acknowledge the incident. However, he said the family remains cautious.
