Australia Says Expected Laos Charges Over Teen Deaths Are Inadequate

Australian officials and the families of two Australian teenagers who died of methanol poisoning in Laos criticized the charges expected to be filed Friday by Lao authorities as inadequate. Australian tourists Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, were among six foreigners killed by tainted alcohol at a tourist hostel in Vang Vieng in November 2024.

The others killed were an American man, a British woman and two Danish women. Mark Jones, Bianca’s father, said the penalties the accused are expected to face if convicted are up to a year in jail and a fine of about 1,600 Australian dollars. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was “deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed” that authorities were not pursuing the most serious charges.

Wong’s office dispatched an envoy to Laos on Friday to convey objections and reinforce expectations for an investigation that delivers justice.

The two Australian women had been staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel, where they reportedly consumed free shots of Laotian vodka before heading to other venues. When they failed to check out as planned, they were found sick and evacuated to hospitals in neighboring Thailand, where they later died.

Methanol poisoning occurs worldwide, especially in countries where alcoholic drinks are hard to afford or illicit. It is sometimes added to mixed drinks at disreputable bars as a cheaper alternative to ethanol or can result from poorly distilled home-brew liquor.