Pearl Jam have paused their show to speak about the mass poisoning that’s left six backpackers dead (Picture: AAP)
Pearl Jam has stopped a show to lament the ‘senseless’ tragedy that has left six people dead after a mass poisoning.
This week British woman Simone White, 28, was among a group of tourists who died after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos.
Among the other victims were an unnamed US man and two Danish woman, aged 19 and 20.
Today it was also confirmed Australian teenager Holly Bowles, 19, had died a day after her best friend.
Bianca Jones, also 19, died after being rushed to a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand and being put on life support 10 days ago.
The young women from Melbourne had been on a ‘dream gap year trip’ but fell ill while in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.
Lead singer Eddie Vedder spoke about the ‘senseless tragedy’ (Picture: AAP Image)
On Thursday night the American rock band, which formed in 1990, were performing a stadium show for their Dark Matter world tour in Sydney.
After playing two songs, frontman Eddie Vedder stopped and spoke about the devastating story.
In footage shared on social media, the 59-year-old described a ‘sense of travel, adventure, gusto and verve…’
He then referenced hearing ‘the story of these two young girls in Laos’ and called the tragedy ‘absolutely f***ing senseless’.
‘The one young woman Bianca Jones, she’s passed, and her friend Holly Bowles is hanging in, and we wish her the best, and we are thinking about the parents,’ he said.
He continued saying he hoped the message didn’t sound empty however ‘it can’t be empty if there’s 50,000 of us’.
Holly Bowles’ family announced she died the morning after the band’s tribute (Picture: Facebook)
Her best friend Bianca Jones died a day earlier
‘We are sending you everything we have got today. We are so sorry,’ he added while appearing to be overcome by emotion.
However, the next day Holly’s family confirmed ‘with broken hearts’ that she had also died.
The family said they had been taking comfort from the fact she had brought so much ‘joy and happiness to so many people’ and had been living ‘her best life travelling through South East Asia meeting new friends and enjoying incredible experiences’ when she became ill.
According to the Herald Sun, the pair complained they ‘couldn’t breathe’ when they begged for help at the Nana Backpackers Hostel where they were staying.
After spending all day in their room on November 12, the pair then went to reception pleading for help and asking to be taken to hospital.
Among the other victims to have died was Simone, an associate lawyer from Orpington in Kent.
British woman Simone White was also one of the six victims (Picture: Facebook)
It has been reported she was recovering but her conditioned then worsened before she succumbed to the poison.
Speaking today, her family paid tribute to their ‘beautiful, kind and loving daughter’ who 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,’ they said.
‘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.’
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