More victims of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos named

Three more victims of a suspected methanol poisoning have been named in Laos, after two young Australian women died in Thailand.

Six people are so far dead, with the cause suspected as methanol-tainted drinks in the town of Vang Vieng, Laos.

Melbourne women Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both 19, died last week after being put on life support in hospitals in Thailand.

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UK lawyer Simone White was also named as one of the victims.

Now, local news outlet The Vientiane Times, which is part of an agency run by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, has named three other people, two Danes and a US man, whose respective governments previously confirmed had died in Laos, though they did not definitively link them to the suspected methanol poisonings.

The Times named the other victims as Danes Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Frela Vennervald Sorensen, 21, and US man James Louis Hutson, 57.

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It comes as the Laos government addressed the deaths.

“The Government of the Lao PDR is profoundly saddened over the loss of lives of foreign tourists in Vang Vieng District, Vientiane Province and expresses its sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” a government spokesperson said.

“The government has been conducting investigations to find causes of the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law.

“The government reaffirms that it always attaches the importance and pays attention to the safety of both domestic and foreign tourists.”

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Bianca Jones’ father, Mark, previously urged the Laos government to work to prevent any similar incident taking place in the future.

“I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Laos government to investigate this to the fullest extent, to make sure this incident doesn’t happen again,” he said.

“We can’t have the passing of our daughter … not lead to change to protect others.”

Jones’ and Bowles’ bodies will return to Australia this week.

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