Families of Melbourne backpackers call for justice over Laos methanol deaths

Bianca Jones (left) and Holly Morton-Bowles of Melbourne had been found unresponsive at Nana Backpackers in Vang Vieng, Laos. Composite Image

The parents of two Melbourne women who died in Laos believe local authorities have stopped investigating the mass poisoning that claimed the lives of six foreign tourists.

Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones, both 19, were on a trip across Southeast Asia last November when they fell ill after a night of drinking in Laos.

The women died within days of one another after being found unresponsive at Nana Backpackers in a suspected case of methanol poisoning.

Morton-Bowles’ parents, Shaun Bowles and Samantha Morton, spoke to the Herald Sun yesterday about the Laotian authorities, alleging officials have refused to speak to them - even in private.

“We recognise how corrupt and unhelpful the Laos Government (is), there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest there is any type of investigation going on.”

The pair urged Australians to “remove this country from their bucket list”, raising continued safety concerns for backpackers travelling through the region.

Mark and Michelle Jones shared similar sentiments, remarking it “appears these deaths of innocent young women may be forgotten, brushed aside and left unresolved”.

“We must have justice. At the very least, they deserve that,” they told the Herald Sun.

The stalling follows confirmation earlier this year that Laos refused Australia’s investigative help, despite multiple offers from the Australian Federal Police, according to ABC News.

While several hostel workers were questioned initially, no charges have been pressed, and few updates have been provided as to the progression of the investigation.

“It is the expectation of the Australian government that there be a thorough investigation into these events, this crime, and that the perpetrators be found, and that that is the expectation in the context of our relationship with Laos,” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said in February.

Methanol poisoning is a widespread problem across Southeast Asia, where establishments in party hotspots like Vang Vieng offer cheap alcohol to backpackers on a budget.

Speaking to the BBC, a Western diplomat said the chemical is often “used to create a stronger-seeming drink or make lower-quality alcohol drinks seem more potent”.

Morton-Bowles and Jones were only two of six people to die after consuming alcohol at Nana Backpackers.

According to ABC News, deleted reviews of the hostel warned of illness following consumption of drinks from the bar, with several alluding to suspicions of methanol poisoning.

But Nana Backpacker’s called their feedback “slander”, denying any issues with the alcohol on offer.

Owner Duong van Huan has continued to maintain the dead tourists were not poisoned by drinks from the hostel.