Two Australian teenagers poisoned in Laos are identified – while 19 are taken to hospital in critical condition after backstreet ‘happy hour’

Two young Australian women have been identified as fighting for their lives in Thailand after allegedly consuming drinks containing methanol in Laos.

Melbourne teenagers Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both aged 19, were on a gap year trip to South East Asia when they were found barely alive in a hostel in Laos.

Authorities suspect the girls drank poisoned cocktails allegedly containing shots of “vodka” while on vacation in the party town of Vang Vieng, a popular tourist spot about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Laos’ capital Vientiane.

They were among a large group of international travelers who fell victim to what is feared to be a mass poisoning that has already killed two other people.

The best friends were rushed to hospital in Vientiane before being apparently evacuated to hospitals in Bangkok and Udon Thani in neighboring Thailand.

The young women would have completed their schooling in 2023 and traveled through Asia during their summer holidays at university for the trip of a lifetime in a group of about ten people.

It emerged that Ms Jones attended Mentone Girls Grammar, while Ms Bowles attended nearby Beaumaris Secondary College in Melbourne’s Bayside suburbs.

They are both now on life support in separate hospitals, while their parents rush to be at their bedsides.

Holly Bowles has been identified as one of the victims of a suspected mass poisoning in Laos

Her best friend Bianca Jones is also clinging to life in a Thai hospital

Two other tourists are feared dead and ten others are sick from methanol poisoning in the area.

It is understood the teenagers were staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng, a popular tourist town about 130 kilometers north of Vientiane.

Although locals have suggested those affected by the deadly cocktails may have been drinking at a street bar in a different location.

Cafe staff at Frank’s cafe in Cheltenham, where Mrs Bowles has been employed for more than two years, described the teenager as a likeable person.

‘She’s just an absolute star. She is a bundle of joy. Knowing her means loving her,” said the cafe manager, who did not want to be named The era.

The cafe closed its doors on Monday after learning of the shocking incident in Laos.

“We’re just praying for the family. She’s just a loyal, caring sweet person,” the manager said.

“We greatly appreciate her as a friend and as a colleague.”

The two women were reportedly staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel when employees found them unwell in their rooms after checking out late. The photo shows the hostel

In a newsletter Beaumaris Secondary published during the years Ms Bowles attended there, the popular teenager spoke of her love of sport and family.

‘I like to play all kinds of sports and spend time with family and friends. “I have a younger brother who goes to Beaumaris North Primary school and two dogs,” she wrote at the time.

A staff member at the hostel in Laos confirmed that a number of young Australian women, including reportedly the two teenagers from Melbourne, stayed there last week.

The staff member believed the group went to several nearby bars, outside the hostel, during the night and returned to their beds in the early morning.

“The girls went out to party… and the next day they slept all day,” he said the era on condition of anonymity.

He said the women were late checking out and staff found them apparently unwell in their rooms.

From there they were rushed to hospital.

‘I’m so sad… They were very friendly. We were talking a lot,” the staff member said.

Two Australian girls have been rushed to Thai hospitals from Vientiane, Laos, while other travelers report similar poisonings from close range

The hostel’s manager told 9News that police inspected their bar after the incident, but she said the alcohol they serve is “very normal.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is helping the young women’s families.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to two Australians and their families in Thailand,” a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

“Our thoughts are with them at this deeply troubling time.

‘Due to our privacy obligations, we are unable to comment further.’

Another affected traveler reported that six people had been admitted to her hospital in Vientiane after also being poisoned by methanol in Vang Vieng.

‘Stay safe guys and avoid free shots from bars as they are likely local spirits. It is possible that some of the vodka is contaminated with a higher dose of methanol than normal,” she warned on the Traveling in Laos Facebook page.

‘Our group stayed in Vang Vieng and we drank free shots offered by one of the bars. Just avoid them, it’s not worth it.

“Six of us who drank in the same place are currently in hospital with methanol poisoning.”

Methanol is commonly used as a gasoline additive and as an industrial solvent in insecticides, some types of paint strippers and glass cleaner. Drinking just 25-90 ml of the substance can be fatal.

Methanol is a toxic chemical often used dangerously as an additive to alcohol (stock image)

Symptoms of methanol poisoning include abdominal pain, vomiting, breathing difficulties, blindness and seizures.

In countries with high taxes on alcohol, the chemical is often mixed with alcoholic drinks as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, according to the Methanol Institute.

Cover More Travel Insurance warned travelers that methanol poisoning poses a real danger to holidaymakers.

“If ingested by humans, it is highly toxic and can cause blindness, coma, and in severe cases, death,” the agency wrote.

It recommended that travelers only drink alcohol from reputable venues and stores, and avoid pre-mixed drinks that are not poured right in front of them, including “bucket cocktails” or colorful “ready-to-drink creations.”

The agency warned that some cheap drinks deals are ‘too good to be true’, writing: ‘If your drink or bottle of spirits is much cheaper than what you would pay at home, it is most likely a home brew.’

Travelers should also check that bottle seals are intact and labels are free of spelling errors, according to the agency.

‘Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of methanol poisoning and seek help right away. Listen to your body,” it wrote.