Teen was on ‘trip of a lifetime’ with best friend when they drank poisoned shots
Bianca Jones was on a dream trip with her best friend Holly Bowles when they died from methanol poisoning in Laos this week.
Today the 19-year-old’s dad Mark, from Melbourne, said: ‘Our daughter was on the trip of a lifetime with one of her best mates.
‘This was meant to be a trip full of lifelong memories, and was to be the first of many.
‘Bianca wanted to explore the world, meet new friends, lead and create change for good.’
Instead, Bianca’s ‘lust for life and adventure’ has ‘cruelly been cut short’ after she drank poisoned shots in the party town of Vang Vieng.
Six people have now died, and 10 are seriously ill, after consuming methanol, a chemic compound used in bootleg booze as a cheap alternative to ethanol.
It’s often sold to tourists as legitimate drinks, but just 4ml of methanol can cause blindness. A 30ml measure – the size of a UK shot – can be lethal.
An American man and two Danish women were the first to die. James Louis Hutson, 57, was found in his hostel room beside two empty bottles of vodka.
Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, were found on their bathroom floor.
Then British lawyer Simone White, 28, died on Wednesday. Bianca diedin hospital on Thursday, followed by Holly on Friday.
The mass poisoning has raised concern about the prevalence and dangers of homemade alcohol in the Vang Vieng, a former farming town that morphed into a backpacker’s party paradise more than 20 years ago.
Despite the government trying to transform it into a destination for adventure tourism – from kayaking to parasailing and rock climbing – its hedonistic qualities never went away.
Now Bianca’s dad is calling on the Laos government to crack down on the dangers that took his daughter’s life.
He said: ‘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.
‘We can’t have the passing of our daughter … not lead to change to protect others.
‘Young men and women should be able to travel, create their own life experiences and be safe. We’ll forever miss our beautiful girl and hope her loss of life has not been in vain.’
The Laos government said it was ‘profoundly saddened’ by the tragedy in Vang Vieng when it public acknowledged it for the first time on Saturday.
In a statement, it said: ‘The government of the Lao PDR has been conducting investigations to find the causes of the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law.
‘The [government] reaffirms that it always attaches importance and pays attention to the safety of both domestic and foreign tourists.’
Nana Backpackers Hostel, where Bianca and Holly stayed, has been closed by police. Its owner has been arrested, but no charges have been brought.
Its manager claimed he served free shots of vodka to 100 people – including Bianca and Holly – on the night the Australian teens fell ill.
He insists the alcohol – Laos-produced Tiger Rock vodka – was not tampered with and claimed they had had no reported problems.
A sign on the hostel’s wall warned customers to drink responsibly and stay safe on nights out.
It has not been confirmed where each of the dead and sick were staying or poisoned. It can take 24 hours for methanol poisoning to kick in.
Tiger Rock vodka is ‘blended, bottled and distilled in Laos’, where there is a high level of state-ownership in the economy.
‘Everything is owned by the government, or at least 90 per cent government owned’, an unnamed source told Australian newspaper the Courier Mail.
‘This could have been a mistake made at a government owned factory, that is a possible reason as to why it happened.’
The tragedy remains under investigation.
Simone White’s family paid tribute to their ‘beautiful, kind and loving daughter’ after the Orpington woman’s death.
They said: ‘Simone was one of a kind and had the most wonderful energy and spark for life.
‘She was a soul who gave so much to so many and was loved by her family, friends and colleagues.
‘‘Simone has been taken from us too soon, she will be sorely missed by her brother, grandmother and entire family.
‘Our hearts go out to all other families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.’
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