Unanswered questions remain about Laos mass methanol poisoning

Six backpackers died after unknowingly drinking alcohol laced with methanol in Laos, and now their families are still searching for answers.

The families of the backpackers who died from a mass methanol poisoning in Laos are calling for answers into how such a tragedy could ever happen.

Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles both died after they fell ill consuming drinks laced with methanol in Vang Vieng in November.

Melbourne teen Bianca Jones died from methanol poisoning. Picture: Facebook

Her friend Holly Bowles also died. Picture: Facebook

The two 19-year-olds from Melbourne were travelling through Southeast Asia together when they were rushed to hospital in Thailand.

The pair were staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in the tourist hotspot of Vang Vieng, north of capital Vientiane.

Sadly, they both died in the days after the mass poisoning event, which claimed the lives of six people.

Bianca’s dad, Mark Jones, told 60 Minutes his daughter was so excited to see the world alongside her best friend.

When she walked through the gates to the departure lounge, I was counting down the days when we were going to see her again,” Mr Jones said.

“(At the airport) I said, ‘Let’s take a selfie’ and she said, ‘Bugger off, dad’.

“It was the last conversation I had with her.”

Simone White, from Orpington in Kent, also died after she became ill in the tourist hotspot.

Her mother, Sue White, told 60 Minutes on Sunday about how her daughter was having the time of her life travelling with friends when tragedy struck.

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

Ms White said she received a message from her daughter stating “I’m having the best time, you know, it’s an absolutely fantastic holiday”.

“And that’s the last message I got from her, and that was on the, the Tuesday, probably early evening Laos time, you know, just before this incident occurred,” Ms White said.

“You know, she’d messaged me as it was all happening, but that was the final message I got from her.”

Backpackers Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles were staying at Nana Backpackers Hostel when they died.

Simone had been travelling with her friend Bethany, who survived the methanol poisoning event.

“On the Friday, I got a phone call at two in the morning from the hospital,” Ms White said.

“Bethany was on the other end of the line you know with the doc, with the surgeon, and she just said, “You need to give your consent for brain surgery or basically Simone’s not going to make it’.

“It was just absolutely dreadful. Just dreadful.

“It is probably the worst experience of my life. It was just absolutely horrific.”

The families of the two Australian teenagers also received the terrifying phone call no parent wants to receive and rushed to be by their bedsides.

Bianca Jones’ parents Michelle and Mark Jones say their daughter wouldn’t have known she was drinking poison. Picture: 60 Minutes

Bianca’s doctor told her parents their daughter had severe swelling on the brain as her condition worsened.

“He sat us down again and said, ‘The brain has continued to swell’,” Mr Jones, told 60 Minutes.

“He’s like, ‘We’ll be calling her medically brain dead’.

“So yeah, then we made the decision to turn off all the life support. And then we said our final goodbye. ”

The following day, Holly’s mum, Sam, and dad, Shaun, were also receiving similar news about how her condition would not improve.

“In a way, we were fortunate to be there with Holly when she passed, which we will forever be grateful for,” Mr Bowles said.

“And to not have that would’ve been just heartbreaking. It really would’ve been.”

Holly Bowles' parents Samantha Morton and Shaun Bowles say they want answers. Picture: 60 minutes

Mr Jones said neither of the two friends would have known they were consuming a lethal drink.

“They weren’t doing anything wrong,” he said.

“They were having, having a drink, having fun. And yeah, there’s no way to determine if there is methanol in a drink.

“So it’s, it’s very much a silent killer.”

Despite the six deaths, Mr Bowles said nobody has heard anything from the Laos Government about their investigation into the methanol poisoning.

“We haven’t heard anything from the Laos government. Not a thing,” he said.

Holly was travelling southeast Asia when she died. Picture: Supplied

Bianca Jones’s family are calling for answers. Picture: Facebook

Mr Jones said he’s determined to not give up hope all the families affected will find out the truth.

“We won’t forget,” he said.

“And we’ll absolutely make sure that they are accountable for the loss of our daughters and make sure that we, you know, to your point, you know other people don’t suffer what we’ve suffered.

“We want some form of closure.

“We want to understand that people who have done wrong by our daughter and Holly and the other people are going to be brought to justice.”

Mr Bowles said he hoped no other family will ever have to go through what his family have experienced since losing their daughter Holly.

“If this gets parents to have a conversation with their kids if they’re off travelling, then that’s something, I guess, but it doesn’t yeah, at the end of the day, it doesn’t make us feel any better at the moment,” he said.

Originally published as Unanswered questions remain about Laos mass methanol poisoning