Terrified travelers tried to warn others about methanol being added to drinks at a hostel, raising the alarm in online posts months before a series of poisonings that have killed at least six people.
Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19 and originally from Melbourne, and four other tourists died after falling ill in Vang Vieng, a popular tourist town in Laos, two weeks ago.
They were all staying at the Nana Backpackers hotel, where police have detained eight members of staff.
It has since emerged that travelers attempted to warn others in now-deleted Google reviews, the alphabet revealed.
One traveler wrote: ‘Don’t go here!! They have methanol in their drinks and myself and three other people have been hospitalized for this.’
Another said they stayed there for five days and the alcohol made them sick.
“My friends and I were sick from consuming free vodka here,” they wrote.
“People we know were taken to hospital, some even to intensive care with serious problems.”
Melbourne teenager Bianca Jones (pictured) has died after suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos.
Eight employees of the Nana Backpacker Hostel, where Melbourne teenager Holly Bowles (above) died after drinking an allegedly contaminated drink, were arrested on Monday.
Pictured: Now deleted Google reviews warning other travelers about the hostel
“Everyone in the hospital had traces of methanol in their bloodstream, which is incredibly dangerous.”
Another reviewer said he had “heard several stories of people ending up in the ICU or even dying” after consuming the drinks served at the hostel bar.
In response, Nane Backpacker Hostel called the claims “slander.”
‘Our hostel has been operating for five years and during this time we have always prioritized the safety and well-being of our guests. We take any complaints like this very seriously,” one shelter account responded.
The warnings could have saved lives, but were subsequently removed from Google.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Google for comment.
While the shelter remains closed and eight staff members were arrested, no charges have been filed.
An Australian traveler revealed that the hostel continued to serve drinks to guests even after three guests died.
Early tests indicated there was allegedly methanol in the beer and spirits served at Nana Backpackers Hostel (pictured). Eight staff members have since been arrested.
Harry Ough, 19, said he had no idea about the alleged mass poisoning when he checked in on November 15.
U.S. citizen James Louis Hutson, 56, was found dead on the floor of his bedroom on November 13, the same day two Danish women and Mrs. Bowles and Mrs. Jones were hospitalized.
‘We had many drinks. They all did it. “I guess we drank a lot that first night and then throughout the night there were some rumors that some girls had been drugged or something,” Ough told ABC.
The Australian backpacker claimed that there was a heavy police presence the next morning, but the hostel staff seemed unfazed and one of them lit up a joint.
Incredibly, the hostel was offering free shots that night.
“They had free drinks again and no one touched the liquor the second night,” Ough added.
“At that point, everyone knew something was going on here and we didn’t celebrate much the second night because there were all these police around and we weren’t safe.”
Daily Mail Australia previously revealed how a friend of the two Danish victims, Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, had warned them to “be careful” before they died.
“The first thing I told them was that it is beautiful, but to be very careful with everything in Vang Vieng because there were drugs everywhere there,” the friend said.
‘We were in contact until the last day, they told me that they were having fun and that they were enjoying it a lot.
The parents of the two girls, Shaun Bowles (left) and Mark Jones (right), at Melbourne airport after bringing their daughters’ bodies home.
It emerged on Wednesday that a third unidentified Australian is recovering in hospital after allegedly drinking methanol.
The traveler is reported to be in a stable condition and is receiving support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
The Australian Federal Police has offered to assist Lao authorities, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told parliament the government had made it clear to officials that it expects a thorough and transparent investigation.
The bodies of best friends Ms Jones and Ms Bowles were flown to their home in Melbourne on Tuesday night.
Friends of the couple, who were from Beaumaris, in Melbourne’s south-east, decorated their suburb with blue and yellow ribbons, the color of the youth football team.
The couple were on holiday in Laos when they fell ill and were unable to leave Nana Backpackers Hostel on November 13 after spending a night at nearby Jaidee Bar.
They were evacuated to Thailand and died in separate Bangkok hospitals after their parents rushed to their beds.
The bodies of best friends Ms Jones and Ms Bowles (pictured together) were flown to their home in Melbourne on Tuesday night.
After her body landed in Melbourne, Ms Jones’ father Mark said his family would try to put their lives back together after the tragedy.
“We want to cry, we desperately miss our daughters,” she told reporters at Tullamarine airport.
However, he said more needs to be done to ensure those responsible for suspected beer and spirits contamination are held to account.
“I was glad to hear that there has been some movement in Laos. I will continue to urge our government to pursue whoever is responsible,” Jones said.
“We can’t let our girls die and this keep happening.”
A fundraiser for the families had raised $330,000 as of Wednesday morning, prompting loved ones to expand their efforts to raise awareness about methanol poisoning.
Its three objectives are to alleviate the financial burden on families, support educational measures on methanol poisoning and finance awareness campaigns.
The grieving families are now seeking to raise $500,000.
“Your contributions, your kind words and your willingness to share your story have inspired us beyond measure,” the Jones and Bowles families said in a statement released on their GoFundMe page on Tuesday.
‘Every dollar raised will go towards making a lasting impact and ensuring your story saves lives. “We are very grateful for your support and hope you will continue to support us as we work towards this broader goal.”