An American man was among at least six tourists who were killed in a mass alcohol poisoning case in a popular tourist town in Laos.

The Laotian government on Saturday officially acknowledged the case and promised to bring the perpetrators to justice, as tourists and business owners in Vang Vieng grow worried.

An American citizen has died at a popular adventure spot in Laos where alcohol tainted with methanol has been blamed for a spate of poisonings in recent days.