Second Melbourne teen Holly Bowles dies in Laos methanol poisoning, bringing death toll to six

• Holly Bowles has died after being on life support due to methanol poisoning from tainted drinks she consumed in Laos.
• Her death follows the death of her friend Bianca Jones, two Danish women, a US tourist and a British woman who were also in the tourist city of Vang Vieng.
• The mass poisoning is known to have made at least 14 people seriously ill.

A second Melbourne teenager has died following a mass methanol poisoning incident in Laos, bringing the confirmed death toll to six.

In a statement on Friday evening the family of Holly Bowles, 19, said she had died after she had been on life support in a Bangkok hospital.

"It is with broken hearts and we are so sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace," a statement from the family said.

"We find comfort and solace in knowing that Holly bought so much joy and happiness to so many people."

Her death is linked to the mass methanol poisoning incident in the Laotian tourist town of Vang Vieng that also claimed the life of Bowles's friend, 19-year-old Bianca Jones.

British woman Simone White, two Danish women and an American man have also died.

They are among more than a dozen people who fell seriously ill from methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng, a small town popular with backpackers.

The deaths of Bowles and Jones have triggered an outpouring of grief in Australia, where their communities in Melbourne's south-east have rallied to support their grieving families.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sent a message of support to Bowles's family on Friday evening.

"This should have been a trip filled with joy and wonderful memories - it is beyond sad that it is not to be," he said.

"My thoughts and my deepest sympathies are with her family and her friends.

"I am sure all Australians are thinking of Holly and her best friend Bianca Jones who tragically passed away yesterday."

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the federal government would "continue to support Holly and Bianca's families, just as we will continue our efforts with local authorities on investigations into this tragedy".

The owner of the hostel in Vang Vieng where Bowles and Jones were staying before they fell ill from the poisoning has been detained by police for questioning in Laos.

The hostel had earlier told the ABC the drinks in question did not come from its bar.

In some countries with more relaxed liquor regulations, methanol, a clear, odourless liquid chemical, is illegally added to alcoholic beverages.

Drinking a small amount - sometimes as little as a shot glass - can be fatal, as methanol is broken down by the body into chemical compounds that attack the organs.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its travel advice for Laos following the methanol poisonings, telling travellers to "be alert to the potential risks, particularly with spirit-based drinks including cocktails" in the country.

- ABC