Seven tourists – including Australians and an American – are said to be “on drips” in hospital after drinking cocktails at Warwick resort, a case that echoes the tragedies in Laos in November
Seven tourists were rushed to hospital in Fiji after drinking cocktails at a resort bar.
The group, which included Australians and an American, are said to be on drips in hospital, after experiencing nausea, vomiting and headaches. Jemesa Tudravu, a spokesperson for the Fiji Health Ministry said they were staying at the five-star Warwick resort near Sigatoka when they fell ill on Saturday.
The cause of their symptoms has not yet been identified but local media reported on Sunday it was alcohol poisoning, which was the case when six tourists, including Brit Simone White, lost their lives after drinking tainted beverages in Laos in November.
Toxicology tests have been ordered by the police, who are awaiting results, Mr Tudravu added, reports the Mirror US. Authorities reassured that there have been no other reports of similar illnesses at the resort or anywhere else in Fiji, a South Pacific island nation home to 930,000 people.
David Sandoe’s daughter and granddaughter, from Australia, are among those in hospital. He told Sky News Australia: “When you receive a phone call at 11 o’clock the other night and your daughter says that her daughter and herself have been poisoned and they were in hospital it’s quite something.
“It is is a horrific experience and, of course, like everyone else when this news broke we all thought back to what recently happened in Asia, which sends shivers down your spine.”
The hotel, nestled on the scenic Coral Coast of Vitu Levu, boasts a long-standing operation and “holds a strong reputation,” authorities in Fiji say. It is co-operating with the investigation into the episode, it is said.
While a government spokesperson in Fiji refrained from speculating on the cause of the illness, it did update its travel advisory website on Monday with warnings about “potential risks around drink spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks.”
Savaira Molaucake, a spokesperson for the plush Warwick resort, revealed that the staff are “conducting a thorough investigation” into the incident and are in close communication with the relevant authorities.
