Latest news with #NanaBackpackersHostel
7NEWS
3 days ago
- 7NEWS
Workers from Laos bar where Aussie teenagers Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones died of methanol poisoning flee country to new jobs
Two workers employed at the Laos bar where two Australian travellers died of methanol poisoning have fled the country. They had been working at the Nana Backpackers Hostel when the 19-year-old Melbourne women, Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, became two of six international victims that died after drinking the tainted alcohol in the establishment. The Herald Sun revealed on Friday that the two men, employed as a bartender and a hostel manager at the time of the incident in November last year, have found new jobs in Vietnam. After they fled the Laos tourist town of Vang Vieng, the outlet reports that the former hostel manager, known as Pikachu, was employed at a new hostel in his home country of Vietnam, and that the former bartender was now employed at a hotel there. The two men were among those detained after the incident. Hotel staff and management were among at least eight people taken into police custody. The Laotian government vowed to 'bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law'. But no charges have been filed, and officials in Laos have released almost no details in the mass poisoning case since November. Alongside the Melbourne teens, an American man, two Danish women and a British woman died of methanol poisoning at the hostel. Jones and Bowles had joined other guests for free shots of alcohol offered by the hostel before going out for the night, but after becoming ill, did not leave their room for 24 hours and failed to check out as scheduled. They were taken to a hospital in Laos before being transferred to Thailand, where they were treated in two separate Bangkok hospitals after their parents raced to be by their bedsides. Jones' father Mark, upon learning of the whereabouts of the bartender and hostel manager, 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.' Methanol is a form of alcohol commonly used in cleaning and industrial products, but it is toxic for humans and drinking as little as 30ml can be lethal. Outbreaks of methanol poisoning occur when the chemical is added to alcoholic drinks, either inadvertently through traditional brewing methods or deliberately — usually in the pursuit of profit. Thousands of people suffer from methanol poisoning every year, with most cases reported in Asia from people drinking bootlegged liquor or homemade alcohol. Many Southeast Asian nations have low safety standards, patchy regulatory enforcement and high levels of police corruption. Stream free on
1News
19-05-2025
- 1News
Laos methanol poisoning victims' families decry 'appalling' local response
It was meant to be the trip of a lifetime – an overseas adventure for two best friends from Melbourne. But six months on, the families of Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles are still searching for answers. The 19-year-olds died last year after drinking free shots of vodka and whiskey at the Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng, Laos. The alcohol was laced with lethal levels of methanol, killing the teens along with four other travellers. 'It's just agonising,' said Bianca's mother Michelle Jones, speaking to Australia's 60 Minutes. 'Mother's Day was really tough… every day is tough.' Michelle and her husband Mark made the heartbreaking decision to turn off their daughter's life support after she was airlifted home to Australia. 'She just passed away in my arms,' Michelle said. Holly's parents, Sam and Sean Bowles, were at their daughter's bedside when she died. 'In a way, we were fortunate to be there… which we'll forever be grateful for,' Sean said. What's added to their grief is what they describe as silence from Lao authorities. Despite repeated letters and pleas, both families say they've never received a direct response from the Laotian government. 'We've written to their Prime Minister a million times,' Sam said. 'Absolutely nothing.' Now, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs has informed the families that police in Laos have recommended charges against 13 people linked to the hostel and a local distillery. But the charges – including elimination of evidence, food and health violations, and unlawful business operations – fall far short of what the families expected. 'Pretty appalling. Pretty insulting,' said Michelle. 'There's no murder or manslaughter charges, which we feel there absolutely should be,' added Sam. Laos police reportedly detained hostel staff shortly after the incident, but have since refused offers of investigative support from Australia, including assistance from the Australian Federal Police. The government has also not made any public comment since the incident occurred. The families say the lack of serious charges reflects the value Lao authorities place on the lives lost. 'They don't care,' Michelle said. 'Life is nothing. It's clearly translated in what we've seen and how we've been treated." In the face of unimaginable loss, both families have channelled their grief into action, raising awareness around methanol poisoning and fundraising in their daughters' names. Sam now has a tattoo made with Holly's ashes. 'She's always with me,' she said.
