Laos methanol poisoning victim Bianca Jones 'was on the trip of a lifetime' says heartbroken dad

The grieving father of Bianca Jones, 19, said she 'wanted to explore the world' and the visit to Laos was part of 'the trip of a lifetime' that was meant to be 'the first of many'

An Australian teenager who tragically died from suspected methanol poisoning "was on the trip of a lifetime" with one of her best friends, her heartbroken dad has said.

Bianca Jones and her pal Holly Bowles, both 19, fell ill after a night out in Vang Vieng, a Laos town popular with tourists. Ms Jones died on Thursday and her friend on Friday.

Now, Bianca's father, Mark Jones, has spoken out after the tragedy as he urged the government of Laos to investigate what happened. He also said his daughter "wanted to explore the world, meet new friends, lead and create change for good" and hoped to build "lifelong memories" during her trip which "was to be the first of many."

Mr Jones told The Age: "This was meant to be a trip full of lifelong memories, and was to be the first of many. Bianca wanted to explore the world, meet new friends, lead and create change for good."

In a plea to the Laos government, the grieving father added: "I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Laos government to investigate this to the fullest extent, to make sure this incident doesn't happen again. We can't have the passing of our daughter … not lead to change to protect others."

It comes after Holly's family said she was "living her best live" while travelling through South East Asia, "meeting new friends and enjoying incredible experiences." They added: "We are so sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace. We find comfort and solace in knowing Holly brought so much joy and happiness to so many people."

Among the six victims of the suspected poisoning was also 28-year-ol British lawyer Simone White, whose family said in a statement: "We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful, kind and loving daughter Simone. Simone was one of a kind and had the most wonderful energy and spark for life. She was a soul who gave so much to so many and was loved by her family, friends and colleagues.

"Simone has been taken from us too soon, she will be sorely missed by her brother, grandmother and entire family. Our hearts go out to all other families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy." The other three travellers who have died are an American and two Danish tourists.

Earlier today, the Laos government said it is "profoundly saddened" and is investigating the deaths of six people from suspected methanol poisoning. Police in Laos have detained the manager and owner of a hostel over the six travellers' deaths.

In a statement released to the media, the Laos government said it was "profoundly saddened" over the deaths of foreign tourists and offered its condolences to their families. It added that is has been investigating "to find causes of the incident" and to "bring the perpetrators to justice."

An officer at Vang Vieng's Tourism Police office said no charges have been filed but a "number of people" have been detained in the case. Staff at the Nana Backpacker Hostel, which is still operating but not accepting new guests, confirmed the manager and owner were among those taken in for questioning.

Those poisoned in the incident are believed to have been served drinks tainted with methanol, which is sometimes used by disreputable bars as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but can cause severe poisoning or death. Duong Duc Toan, manager of the Nana Backpacker Hostel, said staff were told by other guests that the women were unwell after they failed to check out as planned on November 13, and they arranged transport to a hospital for them.

He said the women had joined more than 100 other guests for free shots of Lao vodka offered by the hostel two days earlier. He said no other guest reported any issue, adding the alleged victims had then gone for a night out, returning in the early hours of the morning.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told his country's parliament that 19-year-old Bianca died after being evacuated from Vang Vieng for treatment in a Thai hospital. Thai authorities confirmed Ms Jones died because of a "brain swelling due to high levels of methanol found in her system."

Landlocked Laos is one of south-east Asia's poorest nations and a popular tourist destination. Vang Vieng is particularly popular among backpackers seeking partying and adventure sports. Officials in Laos have released almost no details about the case, with the government keeping a tight lid on information. The country is a one-party communist state with no organised opposition.