The deaths of six foreign tourists linked to a suspected mass methanol poisoning has thrown a spotlight on a small town in Southeast Asia that has worked hard in recent years to shed its reputation for excess.

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

Authorities have named the American tourist who was one of five people to die of suspected methanol poisoning at a hostel in Laos. The victim is 57-year-old James Louis Hutson, the BBC reported, citing Laotian authorities.