Police grill staff at Nana Backpackers in Laos after five people including one Aussie died in suspected methanol drink spiking

New details have emerged after six people, including Aussie teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, died from suspected methanol poisoning.

Laos Police have interrogated the staff at the backpackers where two Australian girls were staying before they were poisoned in a suspected methanol drink spiking.

Nana Backpackers staff were grilled about what happened, with police demanding to see the spirits served on the night Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones fell ill.

The probe gathered urgency after the deaths as Ms Jones’ family confirmed on Thursday that she had died, while Ms Bowles died in Bangkok Hospital on Friday night. Ms Bowles’ death means six fatalities are now linked to the suspected methanol drink spiking incident.

Bianca Jones from Melbourne died in the incident. Picture: Supplied

Australian Holly Bowles was hospitalised but died on Friday. Picture: Facebook

The fifth victim was lawyer Simone White, according to British media.

The Times and The Sun both reported the 28 year old’s death on Friday morning.

Ms White was an associate lawyer at Squire Patton Boggs in London where she practised commercial, intellectual property and technology law.

Simone White from Kent in the UK was holidaying in Laos when she and her friends became ill. Picture: Facebook

“My practice covers a broad range of general commercial matters, and contentious and non-contentious intellectual property law issues,” her LinkedIn profile said.

“I have experience across a range of different sectors and I have spent time working in the in-house legal team of a publicly listed global out-of-home advertising company.

“I have also undertaken client secondments during my time at SPB, including at a leading live entertainment company and at an international fashion retailer.”

Ms White was in Vang Vieng, Laos, with her friend Bethany Clarke, who had also been hospitalised.

Ms Clarke had warned others to avoid drinking the free spirits on offer at the party towns backpacker bars.

An American man, and two Danish women, who were linked to the same poisoning incident, have also died.

The Australian Government has urgently updated its travel advice to Laos, warning of “suspected cases of methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks”. “Be alert to the potential risks particularly with spirit-based drinks including cocktails,” the Australian Government update on the Smart Traveller website said on Thursday.

Six British women, including now deceased lawyer Simone White, 28, and her friend Bethany Clarke, as well a New Zealander, were hospitalised.

Ms Clarke said her liver had “started to shut down”.

“I got to the private hospital in time but underwent many infusions and tablets and days of recovery,” she said in a social media post.

“Six of us who drank from the same place are in hospital currently with methanol poisoning.”

Laos Police interrogate staff at the backpackers where two Aussie girls were involved in the suspected poisoning incident.

Ms Clarke warned backpackers to avoid all local spirits, they are “so not worth it.”

Photographs and video captured the police interview at Nana Backpackers in the main street in Vang Vieng, a tourist hotspot in Laos, 90 minutes’ drive from the capital Vientiane.

The spirits served at the Nana Backpackers were inspected by Laos Police, with a detective taking pages of detailed notes this week.

Bottles of Smirnoff vodka, Havana Club rum, and Bombay Sapphire and Gordon’s gin were on the table with the detective’s interview monitored by local uniformed police.

The backpackers also poured free shots of Tiger Vodka to a crowd of more than 100 backpackers on the night when the backpackers were poisoned.

Police played recordings of Australian media reports on their mobile phones to the backpackers’ staff, including a senior manager known as Pikachu and bartender Toan Van Vanng.

The action taken by Laos police comes as Ms Jones’ family said they “hoped authorities could get to the bottom of what happened as soon as possible.”

Staff at the Nana Backpackers claim that the Melbourne teenagers had only had three free drinks of the local whisky with coke zero over two hours on the night they were poisoned.

WhatsApp messages revealed that Ms Bowles and Ms Jones went to Jaidee’s Bar after they left the backpackers.

That bar also offers free local whisky shots, as well as openly selling opium, ketamine and marijuana.

There is no suggestion that Ms Bowles or Ms Jones took illicit drugs.

Tests reportedly showed they had shown symptoms of methanol poisoning, allegedly as a result of spiked drinks.

Ms Bowles and Ms Jones went to Jaidee’s Bar after they left the backpackers. That bar also offers free local whisky shots, as well as openly selling opium, ketamine and marijuana. Picture: David Caird

Nana Backpackers has been almost deserted since news of the poisonings “spread like wildfire” among tourists this week.

Amy, a British backpacker staying there, said that the free drinks had stopped.

“They were on the first night I got here and then they were off,” she said.

Amy said that free spirits were common in Laos, including in Luang Prabang, four hours up river from Vang Vieng.

“I was in Luang Prabang and there was a pub crawl and there were free spirits all night. I thought, sound,” she said.

“But now, when this stuff happens, it makes you think. I’m so sorry for those Australian girls, it’s just terrible.

“I just drink beer mainly, I’m not touching the free spirits. Van Vieng has had a strange feeling this week. I’m checking out today.”

Originally published as Police grill staff at Nana Backpackers in Laos after five people including one Aussie died in suspected methanol drink spiking