Dec. 16 (UPI) — Seven foreign tourists in Fiji were hospitalized after consuming rum cocktails at a bar in a luxury resort, officials said Monday as they investigate the cause of the poisoning.
The victims had been staying at the five-star Warwick Fiji resort on Coral Coast when they fell ill on Saturday, experiencing symptoms of nausea, vomiting and neurological issues. Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka of Fiji told reporters during a press conference Monday that only two remained in the hospital and were in stable condition.
“Our thoughts are with the affected guests and their families during this difficult time, and I’m ensuring they receive the best medical care possible,” he said.
Though the cause of the poisoning was unknown, Gavoka suggested the drink consumed by the seven victims had been a pina colada, a rum cocktail that he described as “pretty harmless” and popular in the South Pacific archipelago nation.
In defense of the resort, Gavoka said the bar where the victims had been served was busy Saturday night and that many people who did not fall ill had been drinking the rum cocktail.
Gavoka said the resort has operated successfully for many years in Fiji without incident, noting that no one became ill at its other four bars that night and the bartender who served the victims had 16 years’ experience.
“The resort management has assured us that they have not engaged in practices such as substituting ingredients or altering the quality of drinks served to guests,” he said, while describing the poisoning as “an isolated incident.”
He declined to speculate about the cause of the poisoning, saying they are awaiting the results of the police investigation and toxicology reports, which could take several days.
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed in a press conference that among the victims were four Australians.
In response to the poisoning, Australia updated its travel advice for Fiji, which now states: “Be alert to the potential risks around drink spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks.”
The incident comes after six tourists to Laos died after drinking suspected tainted alcohol at a popular backpacker destination in November.
“The Fiji Government would like to reassure both local and international visitors to Fiji that this is a very isolated incident,” Gavoka said. “Thousands of tourists are currently visiting Fiji, and close to a million tourists visit annually, and safely. This is the only reported case of its kind that we’ve experienced in recent memory, and certainly nothing like this has been experienced this year.”