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He said his daughter’s “lust for life and adventure” was “cruelly cut short” as her life was just beginning.
“Our daughter was on the trip of a lifetime with one of her best friends,” Jones said yesterday.
“This was supposed to be a trip full of memories for a lifetime and it was supposed to be the first of many.
“Bianca wanted to explore the world, meet new friends, lead and create change for good.”
Instead, the friends died late this week in separate hospitals in neighboring Thailand, where they were transferred to more intensive treatment after suffering methanol poisoning.
The victims are believed to have consumed drinks contaminated with the substance, which sometimes appears in poorly made alcohol or is added as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but can cause serious poisoning or death.
The owner of the Nana Backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng, where Bowles and Jones stayed, is understood to be in custody in the Lao capital Vientiane to assist police with investigations.
The girls had free drinks at the hostel before going out and drinking at other bars the night before they were found ill, but the hostel owner insisted the drinks had not come from his bar.
The death sparked outrage, well-wishes and warnings from Canberra to Washington, including messages from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, various consulates and even Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder.
Jones thanked the Australian government for its support and made a request to the authorities in Laos, one of the poorest countries in the region, which has been popular with backpackers for years.
“I would like to take this opportunity to urge the government of Laos to investigate this to the fullest extent, to ensure that this incident does not happen again,” he said.
“We cannot let our daughter’s death not lead to change to protect others.
“Young men and women should be able to travel, create their own life experiences and be safe.
“We will forever miss our beautiful girl and hope her loss of life was not in vain.”
“The Lao NDR government is deeply saddened by the loss of life of foreign tourists in Vang Vieng District, Vientiane Province and expresses its sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased,” a government spokesman said.
“The government is conducting investigations to find out the causes of the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with the law.
“The government reaffirms that it always attaches importance and cares to the safety of domestic and foreign tourists.”
Vientiane Timeswhich is part of the agency run by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, named the other victims as Danes Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman (20) and Frela Vennervald Sorensen (21) and American James Louis Hutson (57).
Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Without Borders) ranks Laos 153 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index.
Along with Nine’s newspaper, the local paper cited a police report which said the Danes and Americans were separately found unconscious in their rooms at the Nana Backpackers hostel on November 13, days before news broke that the Australian women were fighting for their lives.
The women had gone to a bar the night before and returned home around midnight and were not found until 6pm, while the American was discovered around three hours later after staff realized he had not left the room all day.
Yesterday, the manager of the hostel said other guests told staff that Bowles and Jones were unwell after they failed to check out as planned on November 13, and arranged for them to be taken to hospital.
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