Seven foreign tourists between the ages of 18 and 56 were hospitalized after drinking “poisoned” piña coladas at a luxury resort in Fiji, BBC reported.
One of the travelers is American, while the other six are Australian nationals; it’s unclear if the party was traveling together, or knew one another. Shortly after consuming piña coladas at Fiji’s five-star Warwick Fiji Resort, each of the seven guests began suffering from intense nausea and vomiting as well as “neurological symptoms.”
They were rushed to Sigatoka Hospital but later transferred to Lautoka Hospital. Officials at first reported the tourists to be seriously ill, but their conditions have improved in recent days. One victim, a 56-year-old female, was reportedly under medical surveillance. Another, a 19-year-old woman, reportedly suffered several “serious medical episodes” after consuming the drink.
The incident comes less than a month after six tourists in Laos died from suspected methanol poisoning after a night of drinking. Methanol is an industrial-strength chemical typically used in the context of automobile maintenance, but it’s also commonly found in bootleg liquors.
According to Sydney resident David Sandoe, his daughter and granddaughter were two of the seven tourists sickened by the drinks. "It's very difficult to take a call at 11 at night…and your daughter says that they have been poisoned and they're in hospital," Sandoe said. He explained that his granddaughter even suffered a seizure, but reported that both mother and daughter are now doing “very well.”
Brent Hill, the chief of Fiji’s tourism board, told local outlet RNZ (via BBC) that the situation at the Warwick Fiji was “a long way from” the incident in Laos. Tourism minister Viliame Gavok added that the apparent piña colada poisoning is an "extremely isolated incident. Furthermore, the resort ensured Hill that "they have not engaged in practices such as substituting ingredients or altering the quality of drinks served to guests.”
An initial investigation is underway into the circumstances surrounding the incident. So far, no one else has reported any symptoms or illnesses associated with the resort’s cocktails.
