A second Australian teenager has died of suspected methanol poisoning, bringing to six the number of foreign tourists who have died after apparently drinking tainted alcohol in Laos.

The family of 19-year-old Holly Bowles said they were “heartbroken” to confirm her death, more than a week after she fell ill in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.

Her friend Bianca Jones, 19, and British lawyer Simone White, 28, from south-east London, were confirmed dead on Thursday.

An unnamed American man and two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, are also among the victims of the suspected poisoning, which is believed to be linked to illegal alcohol.

In a statement released to the media on Friday, Holly’s family said they take comfort in the fact that she has brought so much “joy and happiness to so many people.”

They added that she was living “her best life traveling around Southeast Asia, meeting new friends and enjoying incredible experiences” when she fell ill.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said: “All Australians will be heartbroken by the tragic passing of Holly Bowles. My deepest sympathies to her family and friends.”

Holly and Bianca were taken to hospital on Wednesday, November 13, after failing to make it out of their home in the small riverside town of Vang Vieng, about two hours north of the capital Vientiane.

News reports and testimonies suggest that the tourists may have been drinking alcohol laced with methanol – a deadly substance often found in counterfeit alcohol.

Medical experts say drinking as little as 25 milliliters of methanol can be fatal, but it is sometimes added to drinks because it is cheaper than alcohol.

Christer Hogstrand, professor of molecular ecotoxicology at King’s College London, points out that it is “also not uncommon in home-distilled alcohol”.

“Methanol is like the alcohol in our drinks – colorless and odorless – but its impact on humans can be deadly,” he explained. “It has a different structure of the carbon atom, which completely changes the way people process it in the body, potentially leading to them. fatal consequences.”

It is not yet known where any of the people who became ill or died were poisoned. It can take up to 24 hours for victims to start showing signs of illness.

The Nana Backpacker Hostel – where the Australian teenagers were staying – said it had given free injections to about 100 guests the previous evening.

But the manager of the hostel told the Associated Press news agency that no other guest had felt ill.

The manager of the hostel is among a number of people who have since been detained for questioning by the police.

Online booking agency Hostelworld said in a statement that it has removed Nana Backpacker Hostel from its platform and contacted all customers in Vang Vieng and surrounding areas.

It added that it advises all travelers in the area to “exercise caution” when consuming alcohol and “only purchase products from reputable sellers.”

Few details have emerged about any of the other victims and where they may have been visited.

Simone White, a solicitor who lived in Orpington, was traveling with a group of friends.

In a statementher parents said they were “devastated at the loss of our beautiful, kind and loving daughter”.

“Simone was one of a kind and had the most wonderful energy and spark for life. She was a giving soul to so many and was loved by her family, friends and colleagues.”

They added that she was “taken from us too soon” and that she will be “missed by her brother, grandmother and the whole family”.

“Our hearts go out to all the other families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy,” the statement said.

Her law firm, Squire Patton Boggs, described Ms White as “a talented colleague with a bright future ahead of her”.

“Our thoughts go out to all of Simone’s family, friends and those colleagues and clients who had the privilege of working with and knowing Simone.”

Australia is calling on authorities to be open about their investigation into the incident.

New Zealand and Dutch officials also said they were monitoring incidents involving citizens.

Vang Vieng is a hub for backpackers traveling through Southeast Asia. It is home to the Banana Pancake Trail – a popular backpacking trail that spans Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

“We’re all scared”

Natasha Moore, a 22-year-old from Manchester, told the BBC she canceled her booking at the Nana Backpacker Hostel after learning of the deaths.

Ms Moore said that among the backpackers she met in the country, “the general consensus is that we are all very scared”.

Ms Moore said she had received free drinks, including shots, throughout her travels in South East Asia but would now only drink those sealed with purchase.

“Finding out that people are dying trying to have fun is just heartbreaking and it could have been any of us,” she added.