WEBVTT - Six dead in Laos: What is methanol poisoning?

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<v Speaker 1>Already and this is the daily This is the daily ya,

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<v Speaker 1>this is the dailyahs. Oh, now it makes sense.

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<v Speaker 2>Good morning and welcome to the Daily Os. It's Tuesday,

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<v Speaker 2>the twenty sixth of November. I'm Emma, I'm Billy. Two

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<v Speaker 2>nineteen year olds from Melbourne, Holly Bowls and Bianka Jones

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<v Speaker 2>are among six people who have died from a suspected

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<v Speaker 2>methanol poisoning incident in Lao. The Australians were visiting a

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<v Speaker 2>tourist town in the Southeast Asian country when they fell ill.

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<v Speaker 2>They were rushed to separate hospitals in Thailand, where they

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<v Speaker 2>died late last week. Speaking to media from Thailand after

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<v Speaker 2>the death of his daughter, Bianka's father, Mark Jones said

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<v Speaker 2>his teenager was enjoying the trip of a lifetime with

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<v Speaker 2>one of her best mates.

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<v Speaker 3>This was meant to be a trip full of lifelong memories.

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<v Speaker 3>Will forever miss our beautiful girl and hope her loss

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<v Speaker 3>of life is not.

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<v Speaker 1>The suspected poisoning has claimed to the lives of tourists

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<v Speaker 1>from Denmark, the US and the UK In what's now

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<v Speaker 1>become a multinational investigation. Authorities in Lao have conducted raids

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<v Speaker 1>and detained people for questioning, but no one has been

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<v Speaker 1>charged yet. First, Emma, I think we should start with

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<v Speaker 1>methanol for those of our listeners, and I include myself

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<v Speaker 1>in this because I'm not super familiar with methanol. What

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<v Speaker 1>is methanol poisoning?

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, So, methanol is a colorless liquid chemical. It's typically

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<v Speaker 2>found in things like petrol cleaning products, and it has

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<v Speaker 2>a sweet scent. So to look at methanol, to smell methanol,

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<v Speaker 2>you wouldn't know that it wasn't alcohol that was safe

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<v Speaker 2>to drink, So unlike ethanol, ethanol is the chemical present

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<v Speaker 2>in drinking alcohol. But methanol is toxic to humans. It's

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<v Speaker 2>highly dangerous to consume and even a small amount of

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<v Speaker 2>it can cause vomiting, an abdominal pain, and of course

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<v Speaker 2>we know from this week's reports it can be lethal.

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<v Speaker 1>So how would a person know if they have consumed it.

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<v Speaker 2>It can be confusing at first for someone who has

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<v Speaker 2>methanol poisoning because they might become sick or seem intoxicated,

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<v Speaker 2>and they might confuse that with the effects of drinking

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<v Speaker 2>alcohol of ethanol poisoning, so they may not even really

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<v Speaker 2>know they have consumed methanol.

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<v Speaker 1>So the really serious symptoms aren't immediately present.

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<v Speaker 2>Exactly, or they seem similar to the serious symptoms of

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<v Speaker 2>ethanol poisoning, right, But the main toxin in methanol can

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<v Speaker 2>actually cause brain damage. It can impact the way that

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<v Speaker 2>the human body cells produce energy. Blindness is another common

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<v Speaker 2>side effect of methanol poisoning, and this damage can occur

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<v Speaker 2>quite rapidly, which is kind of back to the heart

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<v Speaker 2>of the issue of identifying it in the first place.

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<v Speaker 2>If diagnosed early, methanol poisoning can be treated, so that's

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<v Speaker 2>within the kind of ten to thirty hours of ingestion

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<v Speaker 2>after that fact, So if you can catch it within

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<v Speaker 2>the ten to thirty hours, a person can be treated.

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<v Speaker 2>They might have life saving treatment in hospital. But often

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<v Speaker 2>by the time it becomes clear that a person has

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<v Speaker 2>consumed methanol, they might have already slipped into a coma.

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<v Speaker 1>That's so interesting. I had no idea about any of

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<v Speaker 1>that to do with methanol. I guess my number one

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<v Speaker 1>question now is how does methanol then end up in

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<v Speaker 1>someone's drink.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, So, in terms of the case we're going to

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<v Speaker 2>explore today, this story that's been dominating headlines there is

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<v Speaker 2>a lot we don't know. It hasn't been confirmed that

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<v Speaker 2>this incident is a methanol poisoning event, but it is

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<v Speaker 2>suspected to be the case. In terms of what we

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<v Speaker 2>know about methanol more broadly, is that it is used

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<v Speaker 2>as a cheap and easy to access alternative to drinking

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<v Speaker 2>alcohol in some parts of the world. So health experts

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<v Speaker 2>suggest that sometimes it's illicitly mixed into more expensive alcohol.

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<v Speaker 2>So you know, a bartender might some methanol with some

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<v Speaker 2>vodka or a spirit so that they can make that

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<v Speaker 2>spirit last longer, go further, so bars and clubs can

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<v Speaker 2>ultimately sell more drinks and make more money. That's why

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<v Speaker 2>some of the advice that you might have seen around

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<v Speaker 2>methanol poisoning or about avoiding it is avoiding mixed drinks

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<v Speaker 2>and spirits, buying sealed drinks from bottle shops instead, and

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<v Speaker 2>just being really careful about where that drink has come from.

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<v Speaker 2>So if you saw a drink getting made at a bar,

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<v Speaker 2>that's different to kind of I guess going to a

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<v Speaker 2>bottle shop and buying a sealed can.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I had no idea about this. I think when

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<v Speaker 1>I heard about this story, I had presumed that someone

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<v Speaker 1>had intentionally poisoned a whole bunch of people. I know

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<v Speaker 1>you've said that we don't know all of the details yet,

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<v Speaker 1>but are you saying that there's a possibility that a

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<v Speaker 1>bar just used methanol as a cheaper alternative to alcohol,

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<v Speaker 1>not knowing that they were perhaps going to be poisoning

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of people.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think that there are two elements to your question, Billy,

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<v Speaker 2>that kind of can both be true, in that it

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<v Speaker 2>could be that a bar or the hostel in question

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<v Speaker 2>has used methanol as a means to kind of sell

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<v Speaker 2>drinks more cheaply. But the idea that a hospitality provider

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<v Speaker 2>wouldn't know about the dangers of methanol is maybe a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit of a harder cell. It's highly likely that

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<v Speaker 2>whoever is involved in this, if it is a methanol poisoning,

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<v Speaker 2>it's highly unlikely that they didn't understand that methanol is

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<v Speaker 2>potentially toxic to humans.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, so they were probably very aware of the consequences

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<v Speaker 1>that using methanol would have had, but it wasn't necessarily

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<v Speaker 1>an intentional killing of people.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and we will touch on this a little bit

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<v Speaker 2>more later. But in terms of the victims. So there

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<v Speaker 2>have been six people who have died so far from

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<v Speaker 2>the same believed poisoning in this town in Lao, and

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<v Speaker 2>five of six of them are women. And what the

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<v Speaker 2>experts say about methanol poisoning is it often has a

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<v Speaker 2>lot to do with the size, the makeup, the metabolism

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<v Speaker 2>of the person who is consuming the methanol. So you know,

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<v Speaker 2>this is obviously speaking broadly, but women will be more

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<v Speaker 2>impacted or impacted differently by certain alcohols and certainly methanol.

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<v Speaker 2>And the argument I suppose is that women are more

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<v Speaker 2>vulnerable to becoming extremely ill from methanol.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll be back with the deep dive in just a moment,

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<v Speaker 1>but first here is a quick message from our sponsor. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>so let's talk about the incident in Lao. It was

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<v Speaker 1>this time a week ago that we started hearing about

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<v Speaker 1>two Ossie teens who had been hospitalized for suspected methanol poisoning.

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<v Speaker 1>Do we know where they got sick?

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, So we first heard this story from three AW

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<v Speaker 2>that's a nine owned Melbourne based radio station, and they

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<v Speaker 2>reported that these two nineteen year olds from Melbourne, Hollybowls

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<v Speaker 2>and Bianca Jones, had been hospitalized after a night out.

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<v Speaker 2>They were staying in a hostel in the tourist town

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<v Speaker 2>of vang Vien that's two hours outside Lao's capital, Vien Tienne.

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<v Speaker 2>Now everyone involved in the suspected poisoning was also staying

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<v Speaker 2>at this hostel. The Ossie teen's families confirmed to media

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<v Speaker 2>last week the girls were being treated in separate hospitals

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<v Speaker 2>in Thailand for this suspected poisoning default. The Department of

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<v Speaker 2>Foreign Affairs confirmed that it had been providing help to

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<v Speaker 2>these families, and then, very sadly, on Thursday, Prime Minister

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<v Speaker 2>Anthony Albanezi confirmed Bianca Jones had died. He called it

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<v Speaker 2>a terrible and cruel loss. Her family provided a statement

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<v Speaker 2>to The Herald's Son, the Melbourne based newspaper, saying Bianca

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<v Speaker 2>was quote surrounded by love when she passed away in Thailand,

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<v Speaker 2>and they said, we are comforted by the knowledge that

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<v Speaker 2>her incredible spirit touched so many lives during her time

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<v Speaker 2>with us.

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<v Speaker 1>And then on Friday night news broke that a second

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<v Speaker 1>Australian had died. What do we know about her death exactly?

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<v Speaker 2>So Friday evening we heard this terrible news of a

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<v Speaker 2>second death in relation to a suspected methanol poisoning in Lao.

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<v Speaker 2>Like her friend Bianka Jones, Holly bowls tied after this

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<v Speaker 2>suspected poisoning, also in a Thai hospital. A statement from

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<v Speaker 2>the nineteen year old's family said, it is with broken

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<v Speaker 2>hearts and we are so sad to say that our

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<v Speaker 2>beautiful girl Holly is now at peace. Holly was living

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<v Speaker 2>her best life, traveling through Southeast Asia, meeting new friends

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<v Speaker 2>and enjoying incredible experiences.

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<v Speaker 1>I get chills hearing you read out that statement. You

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<v Speaker 1>can't even imagine what the families are going throughout the moment.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's just horrific. And I've been the nineteen year

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<v Speaker 2>old in Southeast Asia. I went to Lao at the

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<v Speaker 2>same age and had an amazing time and met wonderful

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<v Speaker 2>people from all over the world. It's such a rite

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<v Speaker 2>of passage to go on those holidays and to find

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<v Speaker 2>your independence in that way, and just a turn of

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<v Speaker 2>events that no one could have imagined.

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<v Speaker 1>There have also been several other deaths, all tourists, as

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<v Speaker 1>you said before, were staying at the same hostel in Lao.

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<v Speaker 1>Do we know about them?

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, yep. So there are the six tourists in total

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<v Speaker 2>who have died. We've got the two young Ausi's Holly

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<v Speaker 2>in Bianca. There's also a twenty eight year old British woman,

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<v Speaker 2>two Danish women aged nineteen and twenty, and one fifty

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<v Speaker 2>seven year old American man. They have all passed away.

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<v Speaker 2>A New Zealander is also believed to be among several

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<v Speaker 2>others who were hospitalized with suspected methanol poisoning, all staying

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<v Speaker 2>at that hostel. Local media over in New Zealand confirmed

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<v Speaker 2>that that person did return home yesterday, but it's not

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<v Speaker 2>clear how many others are sick, how serious their conditions

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<v Speaker 2>may be. Last week there were media reports on the

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<v Speaker 2>ground of at least ten people who were in hospital. Again,

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<v Speaker 2>we just don't know for sure the scale of how

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<v Speaker 2>serious their conditions may be, so how unwell everyone is,

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<v Speaker 2>and if all of these people were spiked with methanol.

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<v Speaker 2>We do know that they were staying at the Nana

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<v Speaker 2>backpackers hostel before they became sick, and this hostel, Dell

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<v Speaker 2>is now kind of at the center of inquiries.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to turn to the investigation side of things.

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<v Speaker 1>What has the response been like on the ground in Lao.

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<v Speaker 1>Have we heard from the government or the policer.

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<v Speaker 2>We have now, but there has been some criticism surrounding

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<v Speaker 2>this response, so on the ground in vang Vieng and

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<v Speaker 2>more broadly from the national government. We did get a

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<v Speaker 2>statement on Saturday from the Lao government, but that was

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<v Speaker 2>the first that we'd officially heard from the government, and

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<v Speaker 2>police have been accused of failing to be transparent on

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<v Speaker 2>their inquiries, of not acting quickly enough. The Foreign Affairs

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<v Speaker 2>Ministry in Lao did release that statement on Saturday, saying

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<v Speaker 2>it was profoundly saddened by the deaths of foreign tourists

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<v Speaker 2>and that authorities were quote conducting investigations to find causes

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<v Speaker 2>of the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice

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<v Speaker 2>in accordance with the law. Mark Jones, he's the father

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<v Speaker 2>of that Australian teenager Bianca who sadly passed away. We

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<v Speaker 2>had previously called for more action from authorities before we

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<v Speaker 2>got that statement.

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<v Speaker 3>I would like to take this opportunity to urge the

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<v Speaker 3>allow government to investigate this to the forced extent. We

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<v Speaker 3>can't have the passing outed order not lead the change

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<v Speaker 3>to protect others.

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<v Speaker 2>Have you heard anything from the hostel so the BBC

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<v Speaker 2>reported on Monday the hostel has been closed and a

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<v Speaker 2>nearby bar, which is called JD's, has also been raided. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>for all intents and purposes, the owners the operators of

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<v Speaker 2>these venues have denied any involvement any wrongdoing, have denied

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<v Speaker 2>serving any illegal or homemade alcohol. There are reports that

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<v Speaker 2>this hostel in question, though, gives guests a free shot

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<v Speaker 2>of alcohol when they check in, so I suppose there

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<v Speaker 2>are questions now about where that alcohol comes from, what

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<v Speaker 2>that alcohol actually is. The hostel has, of course, as mentioned,

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<v Speaker 2>denied serving any illegal beverage. The owners of the hostel

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<v Speaker 2>were arrested on Friday and taken into custody for questioning,

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<v Speaker 2>but no charges have been laid, so it's not clear

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<v Speaker 2>if police are just questioning them as part of their

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<v Speaker 2>investigations or if those hostel owners are suspects. The Associated

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<v Speaker 2>Press has reportedly spoken with local police who told them

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<v Speaker 2>that a number of people had been detained. But again

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<v Speaker 2>we are waiting on details and there's still so much

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<v Speaker 2>we just don't know.

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<v Speaker 1>What about the Australian government, what role do they play

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<v Speaker 1>in the investigation here?

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<v Speaker 2>So we know from defat as mentioned earlier, they're providing

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<v Speaker 2>assistance to the two families of the Australian women, and

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<v Speaker 2>that will include assistants to bring the girls back to

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<v Speaker 2>Australia so to recover Holly and Bianca's bodies bring them

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<v Speaker 2>home for a funeral. Here nine has reported that officers

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<v Speaker 2>from the Australian Federal Police are conducting their own inquiries

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<v Speaker 2>on the ground in Thailand and Lao now. On the

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<v Speaker 2>traveler side of things for any Aussies heading to Lao,

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<v Speaker 2>Defat did update it's smart Traveler website last week. The

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<v Speaker 2>travel advice for Australians heading to Lao now includes a

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<v Speaker 2>warning that the dangerous chemical methanol may be present in

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<v Speaker 2>spirit based drinks. So it says Australians have been victims

0:13:14.000 --> 0:13:18.360
<v Speaker 2>of suspected cases of methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks,

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<v Speaker 2>So just a warning for travelers to be extra aware

0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:24.680
<v Speaker 2>if they are heading to Lao on Friday night. The

0:13:24.679 --> 0:13:27.040
<v Speaker 2>Prime Minister said this should have been a trip filled

0:13:27.040 --> 0:13:30.360
<v Speaker 2>with joy and wonderful memories. He called it beyond sad

0:13:30.520 --> 0:13:33.440
<v Speaker 2>that it is not to be true, and Albaneze said

0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:36.800
<v Speaker 2>the government would continue supporting these families of the young

0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:41.280
<v Speaker 2>Australian women and working with local authorities. They are Melbourne girls,

0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:43.920
<v Speaker 2>so we've heard from the Victorian Premiers into Alan she

0:13:44.000 --> 0:13:47.839
<v Speaker 2>expressed her condolences on x She described the situation as

0:13:47.920 --> 0:13:51.160
<v Speaker 2>devastating and said she was thinking of everyone who loved

0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:52.079
<v Speaker 2>Holly and Bianca.

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<v Speaker 1>I also saw a vigil in Melbourne over the weekend.

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<v Speaker 1>What has the community response to the deaths of these

0:13:59.080 --> 0:13:59.840
<v Speaker 1>two girls men.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we've seen a really huge outpouring of tributes both

0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:06.480
<v Speaker 2>online and in person. That was as vigil on Sunday,

0:14:06.520 --> 0:14:09.520
<v Speaker 2>as you mentioned, Billy, which was attended by around one

0:14:09.600 --> 0:14:12.680
<v Speaker 2>hundred people. Now we've also learned that Holly and Bianca

0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:16.120
<v Speaker 2>were really keen footy players, loved their Aussie Rules and

0:14:16.160 --> 0:14:18.959
<v Speaker 2>they were part of the Bomars Football Club, so that's

0:14:19.000 --> 0:14:24.080
<v Speaker 2>their local club based in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. Players, coaches,

0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:27.600
<v Speaker 2>officials and other community representatives have all sort of banded

0:14:27.680 --> 0:14:30.840
<v Speaker 2>together to pay tribute to these two young women. They

0:14:30.920 --> 0:14:33.560
<v Speaker 2>won the premiership for their club in twenty twenty two,

0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:36.600
<v Speaker 2>so the flag from that win has been flown at

0:14:36.640 --> 0:14:39.640
<v Speaker 2>half mast, the club said in a statement as a

0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:42.200
<v Speaker 2>sign of solidarity and unity and in memory of both

0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:45.200
<v Speaker 2>Holly and Bianca, our women's team, have started tying blue

0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:48.400
<v Speaker 2>and yellow ribbons the club colors in and around their

0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:52.040
<v Speaker 2>homes and throughout the community. The girls jerseys are being

0:14:52.040 --> 0:14:55.160
<v Speaker 2>retired by the club, and they've been remembered as skillful players.

0:14:55.560 --> 0:14:57.840
<v Speaker 2>But there is a little bit of insight into what

0:14:57.880 --> 0:15:00.720
<v Speaker 2>they were like as people in these state from the

0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:02.440
<v Speaker 2>club that I just wanted to share with you. So,

0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:06.640
<v Speaker 2>the club has described Holly as quiet and unassuming. Quote

0:15:06.680 --> 0:15:09.760
<v Speaker 2>she didn't crave attention, yet her kindness, grace, and beautiful

0:15:09.800 --> 0:15:13.600
<v Speaker 2>soul made her someone everyone admired and respected. They said

0:15:13.600 --> 0:15:17.120
<v Speaker 2>that Bianca's infectious charm and tenacity made her a fondly

0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:21.360
<v Speaker 2>regarded teammate and friend. Her smile, exuberance, and happy nature

0:15:21.520 --> 0:15:24.840
<v Speaker 2>made her a delight to be around. Now, Billy, this

0:15:24.920 --> 0:15:28.680
<v Speaker 2>story is obviously continuing to evolve by the day, and

0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:32.040
<v Speaker 2>as we learn more about the circumstances surrounding these deaths,

0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:35.120
<v Speaker 2>we will continue to keep you updated over on the

0:15:35.200 --> 0:15:35.800
<v Speaker 2>daily Ods.

0:15:36.240 --> 0:15:40.200
<v Speaker 1>They sound like two amazing girls who the community were

0:15:40.280 --> 0:15:44.200
<v Speaker 1>very lucky to have such a devastating story. And like

0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:46.480
<v Speaker 1>you said, Emma, so many of us have been those

0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:48.840
<v Speaker 1>nineteen year old girls just traveling the world and you

0:15:48.920 --> 0:15:52.360
<v Speaker 1>never expect anything like this to happen exactly. Thank you

0:15:52.400 --> 0:15:55.280
<v Speaker 1>so much for explaining today. Thank you so much, Billy,

0:15:55.600 --> 0:15:58.120
<v Speaker 1>and thank you so much for listening to this episode

0:15:58.160 --> 0:16:00.520
<v Speaker 1>of The Daily os. A bit of a heavy one today,

0:16:00.600 --> 0:16:02.480
<v Speaker 1>but we hope that we were able to break that

0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:04.720
<v Speaker 1>down for you and answer some of the questions that

0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:06.440
<v Speaker 1>you might have had when you have been seeing that

0:16:06.520 --> 0:16:09.080
<v Speaker 1>story around. Thank you so much, and we'll be back

0:16:09.080 --> 0:16:14.200
<v Speaker 1>again tomorrow. My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a

0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:18.960
<v Speaker 1>proud Arunda Bungelung Kalkuton woman from Gadighl Country. The Daily

0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:22.040
<v Speaker 1>oz acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on the lands

0:16:22.080 --> 0:16:25.280
<v Speaker 1>of the Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal

0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:26.960
<v Speaker 1>and Torres Strait Island and nations.

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<v Speaker 3>We pay our respects to the first peoples of these countries,

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<v Speaker 3>both past and present.