A second Melbourne teenager has lost her life following a mass methanol poisoning incident in Laos. Holly Bowles, 19, passed away in a Bangkok hospital after being on life support, bringing the confirmed death toll to six.
Holly’s family shared the devastating news on Friday evening outside the hospital saying, “It is with broken hearts, and we are so sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace,” per ABC.
The family continued,”We would like to thank everyone from back home, in Canada and around the world for the love and support that Holly and our family have received.”
The tragedy unfolded in the backpacker hotspot of Vang Vieng, Laos, where Holly and her friend Bianca Jones, also 19, fell seriously ill after a night out. Bianca had tragically passed away earlier in the week.
According to reports, on November 11 the girls had taken some free shots of local vodka at their hostel, the Nana Backpacker, before heading out to explore the local bars in the area. The hostel’s manager, Duong Duc Toan, confirmed serving the free drinks but strongly denied any connection to the girls’ illness.
When Holly and Bianca failed to check out as planned on November 13th, hostel staff found them in a bad way and rushed them to hospital.
Methanol is a toxic form of alcohol that can cause severe poisoning when consumed. It’s sometimes used as a cheaper alternative to ethanol in bars or can accidentally contaminate poorly distilled homemade alcohol.
The incident has claimed the lives of not just the two Aussie teens, but also a British woman named Simone White, two Danish women, and an American man. More than a dozen people in total have fallen seriously ill from the poisoning in Vang Vieng.
The owner of the hostel where Holly and Bianca were staying has been detained by Laotian police for questioning. Duong Duc Toan is reportedly among “a number of people” being held, though no charges have been filed yet.
As the investigation continues, travellers are being urged to exercise caution.
The Department Of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) updated its travel advice for Laos following the influx of methanol poisoning, warning tourists to “be alert to the potential risks, particularly with spirit-based drinks including cocktails” in the country.
Lead image: 9News
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