Suspected Fiji poisoning ‘terrifying sense of deja vu’
Four Australians hospitalised in Fiji with suspected alcohol poisoning is bringing on a “terrifying sense of deja vu” after a mass incident in Laos.
Australian authorities are providing consular assistance to two families at the popular tourist destination after seven people fell ill after drinking pina coladas at a resort pool bar.</a>
The five-star Warwick Fiji, on the island nation’s Coral Coast, said it was aware of what had happened. It was awaiting official test results “to gather all necessary information” about Saturday night’s incident.
“Please rest assured that we are taking this matter very seriously and are currently conducting a thorough investigation,” it said on Monday.
“We do not have conclusive details but we are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our guests.”
Police are investigating, and the hotel has remained open.
You might like
The group was reportedly made up of four female Australian tourists, an American tourist and two foreigners who live in Fiji.
The victims were rushed to nearby Sigatoka Hospital with “nausea, vomiting, and neurological symptoms”, Fijivillage.com reported.
They were all later transferred to Lautoka Hospital, which is bigger and closer to Nadi airport, because of the severity of their symptoms.
The victims are reportedly aged between 18 and 56.
Two of the Australians, a 19-year-old and a 56-year-old, are reportedly in a critical condition and under continuous monitoring. Two other Australian women – aged 18 and 49 – were still critical, but not as serious, the ABC reported on Monday.
However, Tourism Fiji chief executive Brent Hill told RNZ Pacific all seven guests were in stable condition and symptoms had improved.
Stay informed, daily
He said it was too early to speculate on the exact cause of their illnesses. Cases were limited to one bar at the one resort, he said.
Fiji’s Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka has told local media one of the tourists has already returned to Australia. He said that person was believed to have fallen ill last Thursday.
“The whole case is quite mystifying, but we are doing everything we can in terms of the health ministry and the police to really determine what happened on that evening when these people were served with pina colada in one of these bars,” he told FBC News.
“Let me say here particularly that Warwick has five bars altogether. This was in Suva Bar, and the pina colada was served in the other four bars during the evening, and no one got ill.”
Australia has revised its travel advice for Fiji, warning travellers to “be alert to the potential risks around drink spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks”.
Government frontbencher Jason Clare said it was terrifying news and warned Australians overseas to be careful when drinking.
Consular officials were on the ground helping the Australians and their families and Fijian officials, including police, were conducting an investigation, he said.
“There’s a real terrifying sense of deja vu; it’s only a month ago two young Australian women died in Laos from methanol poisoning,” he told ABC TV on Monday.
“Then when we wake up to hear this horrific news in Fiji, I’m sure all Australians have their heart in mouth and are hoping for the best.”
Nineteen-year-old Melbourne friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles died in Thai hospitals in November of suspected methanol poisoning after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos.
