The families of two young Australians who died of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos have welcomed the news that eight people have been arrested as police investigate the incident.
Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, were among six foreign tourists who died after consuming the poison, which is often added to alcohol.
The bodies of the Australians were brought home to Melbourne on Tuesday, accompanied by their relatives.
“We miss our daughters terribly. I’m glad to hear there’s been some movement in Laos – we can’t let our girls go and this continues,” Ms Jones’ father Mark told reporters.
The eight people detained for questioning on Tuesday are the staff of the Nana Backpackers hostel where all the deceased were staying, according to the media.
The owners of the hostel, which is now closed, denied that they served illegal alcohol.
Speaking at Melbourne Airport, Mr Jones urged the Lao government to “continue to pursue” the case, adding that the families involved would try to “raise awareness of methanol poisoning”.
The other four victims have been named as Simone White, a 28-year-old lawyer from the UK; James Louis Hutson, a 57-year-old American; and Danish citizens Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21.
Mr Hutson was found dead in his hostel bedroom on November 13 with several empty glasses nearby. On the same morning Ms. Orkild Coyman and Ms. Vennervald Sorensen were also found unconscious in their rooms and were taken to a local hospital.
It is not clear how many other people may have been sickened by the alleged poisoning and the investigation into the deaths is still ongoing.
The manager of this hostel was among the many people questioned by the police last week. Earlier, he told The Associated Press that Ms. Jones and Ms. Bowles were the only guests staying at the property who were unwell after drinking free shots there before going out for the night.
Methanol – commonly found in industrial and household products such as paint thinners – is a colorless chemical that is sometimes used in bootleg alcohol.
Using just 25ml – which is about half a shot – can be dangerous, but it can take up to 24 hours for victims to start showing signs of illness, with symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain.
Methanol poisoning has long been a problem throughout South East Asia, especially in poor countries along the Mekong River, and the wider region has the highest incidence in the world.
The latest spate of deaths has cast a spotlight on Vang Vieng – a notorious gang city – and prompted renewed warnings from governments around the world about alcohol consumption in Laos.
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