Two Australian teenagers among six tourists killed in November 2024
Laos authorities have charged the owner of a distillery whose methanol-laced alcohol killed six international tourists in November 2024, officials said Friday. The charges carry a maximum sentence of four years in prison, a penalty the victims’ families and the Australian government say is too lenient.
The deaths occurred after tourists consumed alcohol from a popular local bar in Van Vieng, a backpacking destination in Laos. The drinks were later found to have been tainted with methanol. The victims included two Australian teenagers, two Danish women, a British woman and an American man.
According to Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the distillery owner was charged with selling food products harmful to health and operating an illegal business. The ministry said the charges carry a penalty ranging from three months to four years’ imprisonment, as well as a fine. The case will formally remain open for 15 years, the ministry added, meaning more serious charges such as negligent manslaughter may still be brought if sufficient evidence can be established.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement that the Australian government is “deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed” that Laos is not pursuing the most serious charges. “This devastating news will only add to the immense pain and grief suffered by the families and friends of Holly and Bianca,” Wong said.
Mark Jones, father of victim Bianca Jones, told ABC that feeling “furious would be an understatement.” He said: “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.”