🚨 DEVASTATING NEWS — THE FAMILIES OF AUSTRALIAN TEENS BIANCA JONES AND HOLLY BOWLES HAVE BEEN HIT WITH ANOTHER HEARTBREAKING UPDATE… AND MANY DIDN’T SEE IT COMING
The 19-year-old girls died while holidaying in Laos after consuming drinks in a tourist town.
The families of Melbourne teens Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles who died from methanol poisoning in Laos have received devastating news.
The Laos Government has all but ruled out criminal charges for anyone in the wake of their daughters’ deaths after they suffered methanol poisoning from drinking bootleg liquor at a Laos backpacker hostel in the tourist town Vang Vieng.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said of the correspondence with the Laos Government: “The explanation provided suggested the Prosecutor does not consider they have sufficient evidence to establish the necessary legal link between the Tiger alcohol and the deaths of Holly and Bianca.”
At least 11 people visiting the backpacker town were hospitalised in November 2024 after drinking contaminated alcohol.
Among them were Australians Bowles and Jones, who died after being transferred to a hospital in Thailand.
An American man, two Danish women and a British woman were among the six foreigners who also died.
At least eight people believed to be hotel staff and management were detained but have since been released.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong had pressured the Laos authorities to progress a criminal case after the deaths of Bowles and Jones.
The Laotian government has knocked back offers from the Australian Federal Police to help in the probe.
The Vang Vieng backpacker hostel implicated in the Laos methanol deaths has since reopened under a new name.
Their deaths sparked a new alcohol awareness campaign nationwide, particularly before Schoolies.
The partnership with DrinkWise called “Drinking? Drink Mindfully” aims to equip school leavers with the tools to travel safely, allowing them to make informed decisions about alcohol and to celebrate with confidence.
SOURCE: https://7news.com.au/news/devastating-news-for-families-of-aussie-teens-bianca-jones-and-holly-bowles-who-died-from-methanol-poisoning-in-laos-c-22589274
