Laos, an opaque communist state that tightly controls its media, did not issue a public statement on the scandal until more than a week after the first death, and it remains unclear how widespread the poisonings were. On Tuesday, CNN affiliate Nine News reported that a third Australian who fell ill was recovering in hospital in a stable condition.

Officials arrested eight hostel workers in Laos on Monday for allegedly poisoning travelers with methanol, according to reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Tourists reported illnesses after consuming alcohol in the town of Vang Vieng,