Laos methanol tragedy: Penny Wong calls for investigation

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called on the Laos government to ensure those responsible in the case of two Australian teens who tragically died are brought to justice.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called on the Laos government to ensure a “thorough investigation” is carried out in the case of two Australian teenagers who tragically died of methanol poisoning.

Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, died after drinking tainted vodka shots while on a backpacking holiday in Vang Vieng, Laos, in November.

The families of the two Melbourne teenagers are demanding justice amid claims of a cover up by the country’s Communist government.

Senator Wong said those responsible must be brought to justice and that the Australian government had made this clear to the Laos government.

Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles tragically died in Laos. Picture: 60 Minutes

“This story did break our hearts, and our hearts go out to the families of Holly and Bianca,” she told Seven’s Sunrise.

“What I have said to the Laos government is that we expect a transparent, thorough investigation and an investigation that brings those responsible to justice.

“I completely understand the anguish of the families, who haven’t heard from the Laos government for the last couple of months, we will continue to press the Laos government to make sure this investigation is thorough, it’s transparent and that those responsible do face justice.”

Senator Wong said Laos had been offered assistance from the Australian Federal Police.

“I do think it would be the right thing for the government of Laos to make sure the families are updated and we will certainly make those representations.

“As I have previously said, methanol poisoning is an insidious risk, it’s one we warn people about, we need to keep warning people about and the example before us demonstrates the tragic consequences when business owners and industry don’t do the right thing.

“We’ve seen the loss of two beautiful Australian girls in such a tragedy.”

Holly Bowles.

Bianca Jones.

Speaking out on Sunday, Holly’s parents Sam and Shaun, and Bianca’s parents, Michelle and Mark, vowed they would not rest until they found out who was responsible for their daughters’ deaths.

“I cannot have my daughter’s passing not mean anything,” Mark told 60 Minutes.

“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.”

The poisonings of the Melbourne teenagers shocked Australia when news broke last year.

Michelle revealed how she was told that Bianca had only a one per cent chance of surviving when they reached a hospital in Udon Thani, Thailand, where she had been transferred.

“Well, I still thought that it was a one per cent (chance). I had to pray that it was one per cent,” she said.

However, Bianca was unable to survive, with Mark revealing they were told that their daughter’s brain had “continued to swell.”

Mark Jones holds onto Zara the family dog at Bianca’s funeral. Picture: NewsWire/Ian Currie.

Vang Vieng. Picture: David Caird

Mark recalled that the doctor said: “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,” Mark said.

Michelle added: “And then she just passed away in my arms.”

That was on November 21 last year.

Shaun and Samantha Bowles at Holly’s funeral.

Police grilled the bartender and manager of the Nana Backpackers Hostel. Picture: David Caird

The following day, Sam and Shaun had to make a similar heartbreaking decision at the Bangkok Hospital where Holly had been transferred by helicopter.

“In a way, we were fortunate to be there with Holly when she passed, which we will

forever be grateful for,” Shaun said.

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

Sam revealed some of the cherished final moments with her daughter.

“We got to brush Holly’s hair. Hold her hands, just hold her. We got to be in the same

room with her.”

Bianca and Holly had been staying at Nana Backpackers in Vang Vieng, a holiday hotspot famous for “tubing” where travellers float down the shallow Nam Song river in tractor inner tubes and stop off at riverbanks bars.

They were among six people who died after drinking free “vodka” shots at the backpackers on November 12.

Danish women Freja Sorensen, 21 and Anne-Sofie Coyman, 20, also died, along with British lawyer Simone White, 28, and American James Louis Hutson, 57.

They were all victims of methanol poisoning – an odourless, tasteless poison that can be fatal with as little as 30ml, or one shot.

The source of the toxic chemical remains unclear despite Laos police arresting 11 people in the weeks after the incident.

No charges have been laid and the Laos Government has failed to provide any details, however a leaked document claimed that the contamination may have occurred at a factory near the Laos capital Vientiane.

The 60 Minutes program, which aired on Sunday, also interviewed the parents of the Danish victims.

Freja Sorensen’s mother Anne-Marie said: “There is a feeling of a cover-up, instead of taking immediate action. Was it a mistake for distillery, was it intent? Was it done by purpose? There, there was, there was no information coming out at that time. And there’s still none.”

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Originally published as Laos methanol tragedy: Penny Wong calls for investigation