Latest news with #NanaBackpackers
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Blow to families after staff who served methanol laced drinks that killed Brit lawyer & 5 other backpackers in Laos FLEE
The shocking twist comes after six months without any charges being made following the horrific poisoning POISON FURY Blow to families after staff who served methanol laced drinks that killed Brit lawyer & 5 other backpackers in Laos FLEE Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STAFF members who served a Brit backpacker and five other tourists deadly drinks laced with poison in Laos have sparked outrage by fleeing the country. The cruel twist came after Brit lawyer Simone White, 28, and five others died after consuming methanol-spiked vodka shots at the party hotspot last year. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Staff members who served Brit Simone White and five other poison-laced alcohol have fled the country Credit: PA 6 The Nana Backpacker Hostel, in Vang Vieng, Laos, where six backpackers died after drinking tainted alcohol laced with methanol Credit: Enterprise 6 Duong Duc Toan, the manager of Nana Backpackers hostel where the victims were staying According to the Herald Sun, at least two employees who were "detained" following the horrific ordeal have now fled Laos to neighbouring Vietnam. Tragic Simone was among five other backpackers who also lost their lives after drinking the same fatal beverages. Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19 and from Australia, as well as two young women from Denmark, Danes Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, and American man James Louis Hutson, 57, were also killed. All of them were staying at the hostel along with 100 more guests. After hearing that two of the suspects had fled Laos, Bianca's dad told the Herald Sun: "We want the Australian Government to apply as much pressure as they can to bring justice to all those involved in the methanol poisoning of our girls, the Danish girl and the British girl in Laos." The group died after they consumed vodka and whiskey laced with deadly methanol at the Nana Backpackers hostel in the town of Vang Vieng last November. Simone was among the victims after she was rushed to hospital in a near paralytic state before being placed on life support for three days. Her mum Sue took a hellish 16-hour journey from Kent to Laos after hearing of her daughter's grave condition. She said she feared Simone would die after being called by the hospital who told her she needed emergency brain surgery. After arriving at Laos hospital Sue was given the devastating ultimatum over whether to leave her daughter on life support or not. Brit lawyer Simone White, 28, dies in 'methanol-laced alcohol poisoning' that left 4 others dead in backpacking hotspot Doctors refused to switch off the machine due to their religion - but told Sue she could do it herself. The distraught mum said she had to take a tube out of her dying daughter's mouth before making the incredibly painful and "traumatic" decision to switch off the machine. Simone's official cause of death was confirmed as a bleed on the brain, an inquest heard. No charges have been made six months after the fatal ordeal, despite Laotian authorities reportedly preparing charges for up to 13 people. The 13 suspects have been accused of violating food and health security, unlawful business operations and the elimination of evidence, according to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs. It comes just weeks after the families of Bianca and Holly, who died from suspected methanol poisoning, slammed cops over "appalling" charges. 6 Laos methanol poison victim, Simone White, with her mum Sue 6 Sue revealed her daughter's final message in an interview alongside Simone's friend Bethany Clarke Credit: 60 Minutes Australia 6 The two teens tragically died just days after the shocking incident. Holly's mother told 60 Minutes: "[The charges are] pretty appalling, I'd say pretty insulting.' Bianca's furious mum added: 'I think we're pretty furious about it … Food and beverage. "You know, that's like? What is that? We don't even know." The parents also said they had written to Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone 'a million times'. The desperate parents claimed to have even contacted his wife, but still say they have not received a response. Why is methanol so deadly? By Sam Blanchard, Health Correspondent METHANOL is a super-toxic version of alcohol that may be present in drinks if added by crooks to make them stronger or if they are brewed or distilled badly. The consequences can be devastating because as little as a single shot of contaminated booze could be deadly, with just 4ml of methanol potentially enough to cause blindness. Prof Oliver Jones, a chemist at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, said: 'The body converts methanol to formic acid. 'Formic acid blocks the action of an enzyme that is critical to how the body uses oxygen to generate energy. 'If it stops working, cells cannot take up or use oxygen from the blood and lack of oxygen causes problems in a range of organs as the cells start to die. 'Symptoms of methanol poisoning include vomiting, seizures and dizziness. 'The optic nerve seems to be particularly vulnerable to methanol toxicity, so there is the potential for temporary or permanent blindness, and even death. 'While thankfully rare, methanol poisoning is very serious, and treatment should be given at a hospital.' An unexpected but key way of treating methanol poisoning is to get the patient drunk with normal alcohol - known as ethanol - to distract the liver and stop it processing the methanol.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Major update in case of lethal methanol poisoning that left two young Australian women dead
Two staff members at the backpackers hostel in Laos where six tourists died, including two Melbourne teenagers, have started working in hospitality in Vietnam. Best friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, were visiting the tourist town of Vang Vieng in November when they suffered suspected methanol poisoning. The Australians were among dozens of tourists who were staying at the Nana Backpackers Hostel when they became sick after drinking at the venue's bar. It was revealed on Friday by The Daily Telegraph that a bartender and the hostel manager who worked at Nana Backpackers Hostel during the alleged poisoning have found jobs in Vietnam. The manager, who calls himself Pikachu, has been employed at a new hostel. 'I don't know, I go home to Vietnam. I have not gone back to Laos, I don't want to talk,' he said. Asked about staff at the hostel who were detained by police, he said: 'I have not gone back to Laos, I don't want to talk.' 'Maybe one day I go back to Laos but not for a long time. The hostel closed. I have no idea,' he said. Bianca and Holly were among six tourists who died due to the suspected poisoning at the hostel which has remained closed since the investigation was launched last year A profile photo on WhatsApp of the hostel's former bartender, Duang Doc Toan, showed he was working at the Azalea Hotel. Toan, who served Holly and Bianca Laotian vodka, claimed in November last year that it wasn't his Tiger Vodka that made the girls sick. He said he bought the alcohol from a certified distributor and insisted it had not been tainted by himself or his staff. To prove his point, the bartender drank from one of the vodka bottles that were in use on the night to prove it was safe. Ms Jones' father Mark said more needed to be done to address the deaths. 'We want the Australian Government to apply as much pressure as they can to bring justice to all those involved in the methanol poisoning of our girls, the Danish girl and the British girl in Laos,' he said. Eight men aged between 23 and 47 were taken into custody following arrests by police on November 25 as part of an investigation into the suspected poisonings. Among those arrested by Vang Vieng police were general staff and managers. There was no suggestion at the time that those detained were responsible for the tourists' deaths and no charges have been laid. A further five people, who were linked to the Tiger distillery, including the manufacturer of the drinks served, were also taken in for questioning. In February, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told federal parliament that authorities in Laos declined the offer of assistance from Australian Federal Police in its investigation of the incident. He vowed that Australian authorities wouldn't drop the matter. 'I would want to assure the families of Bianca and Holly that we remain in contact with the Laos authorities and that the offer of assistance is being consistently offered,' he said. The teens' families said in a joint statement they were 'extremely disappointed' by the lack of updates. 'As the Laos government rejects any support from the AFP our confidence in accountability and justice for everyone affected remains unanswered,' it said. Nana Backpackers Hostel remains closed as the investigation continues.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Best Friend of Woman Who Died of Suspected Methanol Poisoning in Laos Describes Her Final Days: 'Gasping for Air'
The childhood friend of British woman, Simone White, who died from suspected methanol poisoning in Laos in November 2024, is speaking out The pair were traveling together when they drank free vodka shots from the hostel they were staying in, Bethany Clarke recalled in an Instagram video while opening up about White's final moments "They tasted weak. I just assumed they had been watered down," Clarke tells PEOPLE of the drinks they consumed on the night of Nov. 12. White died nine days later on Nov. 21The best friend of a British woman who died after drinking alcohol that authorities suspect was tainted with methanol while visiting Laos is speaking out. Bethany Clarke, 28, was traveling with Simone White, also 28, in the Southeast Asian country in November 2024 when they drank free vodka shots at the Nana Backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng, per the BBC. After White's death on Nov. 21, Clarke is now keen to educate young people about the dangers of methanol poisoning after launching the Methanol Awareness for Simone White campaign. Clarke said in a recent Instagram video of the night they drank the shots, "Simone and I consumed free vodka shots during our hostel's happy hour on the 12th of November." The 28-year-old, who is British but now lives in Australia, told PEOPLE of the pair consuming the shots, "They tasted weak. I just assumed they had been watered down. That evening I went to bed at around 10:30 p.m. because I felt exhausted. I assumed at the time it was jet lag." She continued in the Instagram clip, "The next day we both felt really ill, and we tried to do the activities we had planned that day, but after Simone vomited and I fainted, we were taken to a local public hospital." "The public hospital thought we were suffering from food poisoning, or even the side effects of drugs, which we hadn't taken," she shared. "A few hours later, Simone suffered from respiratory distress, gasping for air, and she couldn't talk." "That evening, we managed to get to a private hospital in Vientiane, and Simone was rushed to the ICU," Clarke went on, adding, "Later on, the following morning of the 14th of November, Simone had several seizures and was sedated. She never woke up, and was in a coma." Clarke said that White's mother, Sue, arrived in Laos on Nov. 16, "just as Simone was being rushed into brain surgery to alleviate the pressure on her brain after multiple seizures." "It worked, but doctors then discovered pressure on the other side of her brain, which would also require more surgery, that the doctors did not think would improve her chance of recovery," she shared in the video. "After discussions with doctors in the U.K. consulate, Sue had to turn off Simone's life support on the 21st of November," Clarke said. As previously reported by PEOPLE, an American, two Danish tourists, as well as Australian teenager Holly Bowles, 19, and her friend, Bianca Jones, also 19, reportedly died in the incident in Vang Vieng. Clarke told PEOPLE how she and White had met at kindergarten when she was 4 and White was 5 years old. "She was always smiling and always made everyone feel like they were the most important person in the room," she said, adding that they "traveled as much as we could all over the globe." "We just clicked. There were no topics 'off limits' and we were always straight with each other," Clarke said. "The moment when I think she knew something was wrong, she said 'I'll do whatever you do (Biff),' which is what she called me. I just wish I'd have been able to make it all better but back then, I didn't know what I know now. I hope she didn't suffer too much," Clarke told PEOPLE. In a November interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), hostel owner Duong van Huan said that the poisoned drinks didn't come from his bar. He also claimed he'd been in the industry for nearly 11 years, and that that was the first time something like that had happened. "I really take care of all the customers [who] stay with our hotel and our hostel," he told the outlet at the time. "I'm not doing anything wrong with all of the customer." "I'm scared it happened. I lose a lot of customer, no customer right now, nobody stay, I'm very sad as well about my business," the owner added. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Associated Press previously reported that a "number of people" had been detained in the case but told the outlet that no charges had currently been filed, citing an officer with Vang Vieng's Tourism Police office. The manager and owner of the Nana Backpacker Hostel were among those taken in for questioning in November, per the news agency. It's not immediately clear if the hostel is facing further charges, and contact information wasn't available for PEOPLE to reach out for comment. While methanol can be inadvertently produced during the brewing process, The Guardian reported it's often illegally added to drinks to help increase the alcohol content. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, methanol is a colorless, watery liquid, and symptoms of methanol poisoning resemble over-consumption of alcohol, like nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness and vomiting. 'Fatal cases often present with fast heart rate (tachycardia) or slow heart rate (bradycardia) and an increased rate of respiration. Low blood pressure (hypotension) and respiratory arrest occur when death is imminent,' the CDC said. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Daily Mail
'Appalling' twist in methanol deaths of Melbourne teenagers - as their parents speak out
The families of two teenage girls who died from methanol poisoning while on a holiday in Laos have slammed a development in their case as 'appalling'. Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, died after a night out in the party town of Vang Viang, a small village north of Laos' capital Vientiane in November last year. The pair were staying at Nana Backpackers Hostel and accidentally consumed methanol after they drank free shots of vodka and whiskey that were handed out. The teens, both from Beumaris in Melbourne 's southeast, were among six foreign tourists to die due to the mass methanol poisoning event. Miss Jones and Miss Bowles were rushed to separate Thai hospitals after asking staff for help on November 13. Miss Jones died in Udon Thani hospital the next day, while Miss Bowles died in nearby Bangkok Hospital two days later. Four foreign tourists from Denmark, the UK and the US also died, while a further 14 tourists who had been drinking in the area developed methanol poisoning within days of each other. Now, nearly six months later, up to 13 people connected to the deaths may finally face charges, according to a report by 60 Minutes. The families were notified by email from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) just 10 days ago that charges had been laid. Local police reportedly recommended charges against 13 people from Nana's Hostel and the Tiger distillery. The proposed charges include violation of food and health security, unlawful business operations and elimination of evidence. Mrs Jones and Mrs Bowles criticised the recommended charges as weak 'Pretty appalling, I'd say pretty insulting,' Mrs Bowles told 60 Minutes. Mrs Jones added: 'I think we're pretty furious about it … Food and beverage. You know, that's like? What is that? We don't even know.' 'We know that there's no murder or manslaughter charges, which we feel there should be.' The mothers said they feel as though those allegedly involved would only get a 'slap on the wrist' in the form of a fine if they are found guilty. They also slammed the Laos government, claiming authorities 'don't care' and that the lives of their daughters meant 'nothing'. The government of Laos conveyed its 'deep condolences to the teenagers' family via the email sent to Mrs Jones and Mrs Bowles from DFAT. The email it explains the Ambassador was informed prosecutors were compiling a case to present to the court and that an 'outcome was expected soon'. However, DFAT was not provided with a timeframe of when the trial might occur. 'We do not have visibility as to whether the prosecutors will proceed with all the recommended charges,' the email read. Staff at Nana Backpackers vehemently denied they added anything to the shots of Tiger Vodka that had been given away for free as part of the hostel's happy hour deal between 8pm and 10pm. Nana Backpackers Hostel owner Duong Duc Toan, who was reportedly among 'a number of people' detained by police for questioning. Mr Toan said his bar was not responsible for the mass poisoning and insisted alcohol was bought from legitimate sellers and even drank from a bottle to 'prove it was safe'. Methanol is a colourless liquid that tastes similar to alcohol and is a byproduct of bootlegged liquor. Nana Backpackers Hostel owner Duong Duc Toan (pictured) has vehemently denied the shots given to the girls during the bar's happy hour were responsible for their deaths Consuming even a small amount can lead to blindness, multiple organ failure and death. Miss Jones and Miss Bowles' families have since campaigned for methanol poisoning awareness and have raised money for a charity in their daughters' names.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The four words survivor of methanol tragedy that killed six tourists wants every backpacker to know
'Steer clear, drink beer'. They're the four words Bethany Clarke wants every backpacker heading to Southeast Asia to remember. That's because six months ago, the 28-year-old Brisbane resident watched her best friend's devastated mother struggle to turn off her daughter's life support in a Laos hospital — and she doesn't want anyone else to go through the same experience. "I just sat there watching her stats on the monitor slowly get lower and lower," Bethany recalled to Yahoo News Australia. Because of the language barrier, the steps required weren't fully communicated, meaning the ordeal took over an hour. "It was just horrendous," she said. Bethany is one of the survivors of the Laos methanol poisoning tragedy that made headlines around the world. Six people died, including Bethany's best friend Simone White, a British lawyer, and the two Melbourne teenagers Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones. It's believed all six victims, as well as other tourists hospitalised at the time, drank the same spirits suspected of being laced with lethal doses of methanol. Bethany and Simone, both from the UK and friends since childhood, were travelling Southeast Asia with another friend David last November when they arrived in Vang Vieng, a Laos backpacker hotspot which had tried to repair what was once a notorious reputation for cheap alcohol and drugs several decades ago. They settled into the Nana Backpackers Hostel before heading down to its bar and enjoying its famous free shots offered every night during happy hour. And while there was nothing that stood out as concerning to her, Bethany did have her reservations. "I remember looking at the sign and thinking 'Christ, the alcohol must be very cheap to be able to make it free for two hours'," Bethany noted. The group went on to consume five to six shots each at the bar. The next day they started to feel off. Booked in for a day of kayaking, they felt lethargic and couldn't muster the energy to do much at all. "Simone and I just had to lie there looking up at the sky," Bethany recalled after getting onto a kayak each. They soldiered on and hours later they were on a bus to the next destination of their holiday but their conditions deteriorated. With Simone repeatedly throwing up and Bethany fainting, their friend David wasn't taking any chances and took them to the nearest hospital. It was there that Simone would then take a turn for the worse. "She started going into respiratory distress and was gasping for breath and couldn't talk," Bethany said. "She couldn't even look at me properly." Now seriously fearing for her welfare in an overcrowded facility, they managed to relocate to a private hospital where they were admitted to the ICU in private rooms. Little did Bethany know, she would never speak with her best friend again. "The next day the doctors told me she was doing better but she'd had a seizure. I contacted her mum Sue by text saying we were in hospital but Simone is doing better now, but we need to wait for her to wake up from sedation. "And of course, she never woke up." Simone's mother flew out as quickly as she could from the UK, and by the time her mum arrived she'd had surgery on her brain to try and alleviate built-up pressure. Despite having just a 20 per cent success rate, it worked. But tragically doctors discovered she would need surgery on the other side of her head after discovering further swelling. Such a procedure would leave her in a coma indefinitely. Without it, she would endure a prolonged death. After four days and assistance from the consulate to convince doctors to agree to her wishes, Sue was allowed to turn off her daughter's life support. While the hospital eventually began to suspect methanol poisoning was the cause of their symptoms, Bethany had no idea she was part of a much-wider tragedy impacting tourists from all around the world. When other backpackers presented to the same hospital with similar symptoms, it soon became apparent this was not an isolated incident. By this point, other tourists and friends of those impacted began leaving desperate warnings about the hostel on Google Reviews. Several posts tried to get the message out there that people who drank at the hostel were ending up in hospital in serious conditions impacting their breathing and vision. But they were met with accusations of slander by the hostel, and soon after, to the dismay of those impacted, the Google reviews vanished. "I didn't even realise that could happen. I was just so surprised... those Google Reviews were supposed to be protecting the public. It's crazy," Bethany said. Not knowing what else to do, she turned to Facebook and left a series of posts in specific groups for travellers in Laos. It was soon after she learned about Melbourne teens Holly and Bianca being taken to Thai hospitals in serious conditions, as well as the two young Danish women Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman and Freja Vennervald Sorensen who were also hospitalised. All four would later die in the tragedy. "While we were there in the hospital there were more and more people coming in and we were thinking 'Jesus Christ, how big is this problem?'" Bethany recalled. Google failed to respond to Yahoo's request for comment about the deleted reviews before publication. Bethany, a self-proclaimed worrier who 'overthinks everything", revealed to Yahoo one "red flag" encounter with the hostel before they'd even arrived could have meant they avoided the deadly bar altogether. When they were at the airport heading to Laos, they realised their room booking wasn't for three people so they called the hostel. But both Simone and Bethany failed to get a straight answer from the receptionist and grew increasingly frustrated with the situation. It was at that point they decided to find alternative accomodation. "I said to Simone we need to book a hotel, so we found one and had it all booked but David in the meantime had managed to sort it out with the hostel and book a three-person room so we had to revert back to the hostel." When they arrived, they were met by someone else who Bethany said was much more accommodating, meaning her reservations about the place were quickly forgotten. But in hindsight, she wishes that red flag had been enough to convince them to move on. "I would have liked to think we wouldn't have gone to the hostel bar if we'd ended up at the hotel, but you just don't know," Bethany told Yahoo. "I kept second guessing everything when it all happened. It's all these should haves, would haves. You can't keep doing it to yourself." Bethany is now campaigning to have methanol education implemented into schools' curriculums in her native UK. The motto of her campaign is "steer clear, drink beer". It is similar to the messaging used by Colin Ahearn, a seasoned campaigner who has worked tirelessly in Australia to warn tourists of the dangers of methanol poisoning overseas, particularly in Bali via his Facebook awareness page "Just Don't Drink Spirits in Bali". The idea of both campaigns is to prevent tourists drinking free-poured spirits. And while the risk is low, there is a chance liquors sold abroad contain methanol, a deadly byproduct of distillation which can be found in bootleg spirits. Just 25ml of methanol consumed can prove fatal. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Methanol Awareness for Simone White (@simonewhitemethanolawareness) Over the years Colin has helped guide countless tourists from around the world who experience methanol poisoning, the majority of whom had no idea of what it was beforehand. Colin praised Bethany's courage and determination to make a change, something he's been trying to do with little assistance. Both Colin and Bethany believe more needs to be done by governments, fearing a simple update of their travel advice sites is not enough to protect tourists. Details of the ongoing investigations in Laos are scarce, with even the families of those impacted fed very little information through their respective embassies from Lao authorities. And while Yahoo understands charges against several people involved will be laid, whether that involves charges directly related to the six deaths is unclear, leaving families fearing true accountability for what has taken place won't be achieved. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
