Family devastated by ‘unacceptable’ charges over methanol deaths of Australian teenagers in Laos

Jul 17, 2026 - 02:30

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Family devastated by ‘unacceptable’ charges over methanol deaths of Australian teenagers in Laos

Australian government says it is ‘deeply frustrated’ and will continue to press for ‘real charges with teeth’ over deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles

The Australian government says it wants “real charges with teeth” over the fatal methanol poisoning of two teenage travellers in Laos, as authorities prepare to lay lesser charges that have been called “bitterly” disappointing.

Melbourne travellers Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, were backpacking through the south-east Asian nation in late 2024 when they were fatally poisoned with methanol while drinking at Nana backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng.