“In Fiji, there was a mass poisoning of tourists after drinking pina colada at a five-star resort Seven foreigners were hospitalized after drinking a cocktail at the five-star Warwick Fiji resort. Five of the victims are tourists from the USA and Australia, two are foreign residents of Fiji.”, — write on: unn.ua
Details
Five of them are tourists, one from the USA, the rest from Australia, aged from 18 to 56 years. The other two are foreigners living in Fiji, according to local media reports citing the Ministry of Health.
Some of them were previously reported to be seriously ill, but local authorities said on Monday that their condition had improved and some of them would be discharged.
The incident comes weeks after six tourists died in the Southeast Asian country of Laos from suspected methanol poisoning.
Fiji tourism chief Brent Hill told RNZ they were fully aware of the incident in Laos, but added the Fiji incident was “far from that”.
Seven guests experienced nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms shortly after drinking a rum cocktail at the Warwick Fiji resort on the Coral Coast.
They were first taken to Sigatoka Hospital before being transferred to Lautoka Hospital, Fiji Times reported.
Fiji’s tourism minister, Viliami Havok, stressed that it was an “extremely isolated incident” and that the resort said “they did not engage in practices such as substituting ingredients or altering the quality of beverages served to guests.”
A preliminary investigation is underway and no new cases have been reported, authorities said.
The Warwick Fiji Hotel said in a statement to the BBC that it was aware of “suspected alcohol poisoning” and was taking it “very seriously”. The hotel said it was “conducting a thorough investigation” while awaiting a “test report” from health authorities to “gather all the necessary information.”
Fiji police are reportedly investigating the incident.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has advised tourists to “be aware of the potential risks of drink adulteration and methanol poisoning when consuming alcoholic beverages in Fiji”.
The guide states that tourists should “seek immediate medical attention if you suspect that something else has been mixed into your drink.”