Seven strangers in Fiji ended up in the hospital after drinking pina coladas at a resort bar and falling ill over the weekend, authorities confirmed Monday.
Cocktails were served in a five-star Warwick Centre on Saturday, according to local reports. It is unclear whether the rum-based drinks were served with tainted alcohol and the cause of the illness is still unknown.
Fiji's Tourism Minister Viliame R. Gavoka told reporters that those hospitalized include four Australians and one American. The other two are foreigners living in Fiji. While five have been released, two people remain in hospital, conscious and in stable condition.
Jemesa Tudrave, spokeswoman for Fiji's Ministry of Health, said those affected were hospitalized with vomiting, nausea and neurological symptoms.
The incident occurred weeks after the deaths of six tourists in Southeast Asia in Laos due to suspected methanol poisoning.
Brent Hill, Fiji's head of tourism, told RNZ that while they are aware of the case in Laos, the situation in Fiji is "far from it.”
Gavoka said the results of toxicology tests were awaited and should be ready in about three to four days, but stressed that there were no other reports of similar illness in the resort or in the entire island nation.
"The management of the resort has assured us that it has not engaged in practices such as substituting ingredients or altering the quality of beverages served to guests," Gavoka said in a statement.
“This is it the only reported case of the kind we've experienced in recent memory, and certainly nothing like it this year," he continued.
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The Warwick Fiji Hotel said in a statement to the BBC that it was aware “suspected alcohol poisoning” and took it “very seriously”. The hotel said it was "conducting a thorough investigation" while awaiting the "outcome report" from health authorities to "gather all the necessary information".
Sydney resident David Sandoe told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation he had received a call Among those hospitalized were a daughter and a granddaughter. He confirmed to the drawer that they had both been drinking pina coladas before they got sick.
"There was a group of them in the lounge at this resort and they had a similar cocktail and unfortunately seven people had the symptoms that were being talked about," Sandoe said.
— With files from The Associated Press
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