Australian teenager turns into sixth to die in Laos ‘methanol poisoning’ as police detain hostel bosses
Australian teenager Holly Bowles has become the sixth person to die from suspected methanol poisoning after travelling in Laos.
The 19-year-old’s death in a Thai hospital was confirmed in a family statement to Australian news outlets this morning and comes a day after her friend Bianca Jones, also 19, died from the same incident in the riverside party town Van Vieng.
Ms Bowles’ father, Shaun Bowles, confirmed his daughter’s passing to Nine News. “It is with broken hearts, and we are so sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace,” he said.
British backpacker and lawyer Simone White was among those to have died in the suspected methanol poisoning case after allegedly being served free drinks in Laos.
It comes as Thai police have detained the owner and the manager of Nana Backpacker Hostel, where affected travellers who visited the town were staying, however no one has been charged over the incident.
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Source: independent.co.uk