At least seven foreigners in Fiji have ended up in the hospital after drinking fruity cocktails at a five-star resort. The BBC reports that five of those who were sickened at the Warwick Fiji along the Coral Coast were tourists, including one American and four Australians. Per local media reports citing the nation's Health Ministry, the two others were non-nationals who live in Fiji. The group reportedly consumed piña coladas at the resort's bar, then exhibited nausea, vomiting, and neurological symptoms.
"It's your worst nightmare, really," David Sandoe, whose daughter and granddaughter were two of the Aussie victims, tells ABC Australia, via the Sydney Morning Herald. "It's very difficult to take a call at 11 o'clock at night ... and your daughter says that they've been poisoned and are in [the] hospital." Viliame R. Gavoka, Fiji's tourism minister, told local reporters that the piña coladas were prepackaged drinks, and that the bartender who'd served them had been with the resort for 16 years. Gavoka adds that four other bars on the premises that also served piña coladas reported no similar incidents.
"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," says Gavoka, per the AP, which adds that the cause of the victims' illness "was not known" and that "officials said it was too soon to know if tainted alcohol was involved." The news agency reports that one victim was discharged over the weekend, while four others went home Monday. Gavoka says the two others remain hospitalized, in stable condition and conscious.
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In a statement to the BBC, the Warwick Fiji cited "suspected alcohol poisoning" and noted it was taking the incident "very seriously." Police have ordered toxicology reports as part of their ongoing investigation and are waiting for the results, which should come in a few days. The incident follows six tourists dying in Laos last month of suspected methanol poisoning. (More Fiji stories.)
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