The owner of a Laos distillery linked to a mass methanol poisoning that killed two young Australian women has been formally charged, prompting anger from a victim's family over what they see as an inadequate potential punishment. The case stems from a batch of tainted alcohol served to tourists, which caused severe methanol poisoning among multiple travellers, including Australians, and left a lasting impact on families who lost loved ones or watched them suffer life-changing injuries.

The victims, named as Bianca and Holly, were among those who died after consuming the contaminated spirits, part of a wider poisoning incident that drew international attention to unregulated alcohol production in the region. The distillery owner now faces charges over the deaths, but relatives have criticised the potential penalties as too lenient given the scale of harm caused, calling for tougher accountability from authorities.