Distillery Owner Charged After 6 Tourists Die From Methanol Poisoning

Foreign tourists walk past the closed Nana Backpackers hostel on Nov. 23, 2024, in Vang Vieng, Laos. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)

Lao authorities have filed criminal charges against the owner of a distillery linked to the methanol poisoning that killed six tourists, including two Australian teenagers, though victims’ families say the allegations fall far short of delivering justice.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Danish officials confirmed that Lao prosecutors have charged the distillery owner with selling food products harmful to health and operating an illegal business. The offenses carry penalties ranging from three months to four years in prison, along with a fine.

The case stems from a November 2024 mass methanol poisoning in the popular backpacker destination of Vang Vieng. Australian friends Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, died after consuming tainted alcohol while staying at Nana Backpackers Hostel. Four other tourists also died, including two women from Denmark.

International media were barred from a government press conference in the Lao capital of Vientiane announcing the charges, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Lao officials also indicated the case will remain open for 15 years, allowing prosecutors to pursue more serious charges, including negligent manslaughter, if additional evidence emerges.

The announcement marks the first criminal charges publicly disclosed since the deadly poisoning drew international attention.

Australian officials had previously been told by Lao prosecutors that investigators lacked sufficient evidence to directly connect the so-called “Tiger alcohol” consumed by the victims to the deaths.

The limited charges sparked an angry response from the victims’ families.

Bianca Jones’ father, Mark Jones, called the outcome deeply inadequate.

“I don’t have words for the disgust that I have with what the Laos authorities are suggesting is meant to be justice for the deaths of six tourists,” he told ABC.

Her mother, Michelle Jones, said the charges suggested “their lives didn’t even matter.”

Holly Morton-Bowles’ father, Shaun Bowles, said before the charges were announced that he was astonished by what he viewed as Laos’ handling of the investigation.

He argued the outcome should serve as a warning to travelers considering trips to the Southeast Asian nation, saying many people would now think twice before visiting.

Both Australian families have called for stronger travel warnings about the risks of methanol poisoning in Southeast Asia.

Australia has also stepped up diplomatic pressure following the announcement. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government had summoned Laos’ ambassador in Canberra and dispatched Australia’s ambassador to Laos to formally object to the outcome.

“Since their deaths, Australia has advocated for a thorough and transparent investigation that takes into account all available evidence and for those responsible to be held to account,” Wong said in a statement.

Denmark also criticized the charges. Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said he was “deeply disappointed” that the allegations did not reflect the scale of the tragedy and said Danish officials would discuss next steps with the victims’ families and other affected countries.

Methanol is a toxic form of industrial alcohol that is sometimes illegally substituted for drinkable ethanol or inadvertently contaminates improperly produced spirits. Even small amounts can cause blindness, organ failure and death.