Laos poisonings major update as police move could spark international incident

A large update from Laos pursuing the deaths of six tourists who are thought to person consumed methanol-laced drinks could spark an planetary incident, with Australian politicians up successful arms

A large update successful the lawsuit of six tourists who died from suspected methanol poisoning successful Laos risks sparking an planetary incident.

Brit lawyer Simone White, 28, Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, some 19, an unmanned US antheral and 2 Danish women, aged 19 and 20, fell sick successful the tourer municipality of Vang Vieng successful November past year. They were each staying astatine the Nana Backpackers hostel and are thought to person consumed alcoholic drinks that really contained methanol.

On Thursday, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told parliament Laos authorities person refused the Australian Federal Police (AFP)'s connection to enactment the probe into the deaths.

"The AFP has made an connection to the authorities successful Laos to supply their assistance successful the investigation, and determination is simply a full batch of capableness the AFP could bring," helium said. "I person to study sadly to the location that astatine this constituent the Laos authorities person not taken up that invitation."

The families of Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles issued a heartbreaking connection pursuing the announcement, and said they were "extremely disappointed" by the deficiency of updates. They said: "As the Laos authorities rejects immoderate enactment from the AFP our assurance successful accountability and justness for everyone affected remains unanswered."

Zoe Daniel, the MP for the girls’ families, contacted Laos authorities earlier Christmas asking for an update connected the investigation. She said she was told they were "working connected it". She told NewsWire: "I haven’t seen thing since and that’s not lone frustrating, but it’s besides perchance unsafe for different travellers and truly upsetting the families who request immoderate answers and accountability."

She wrote to the Laos ambassador connected Thursday again urging that the connection of assistance beryllium accepted. Daniel besides said the authorities was consenting to beryllium much insistent successful getting answers.

"We volition proceed to property Laos to prosecute this probe arsenic we volition proceed to connection the assistance of the Australian authorities done the Australian Federal Police successful this investigation," Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade person been successful interaction with Bianca and Holly’s families and they volition proceed to bash so. Any accusation that we person we privation to stock with them."