Officials in Fiji have issued a major update after seven foreign tourists, including Australians and an American, fell ill and were hospitalised in a mystery poisoning at a five-star resort
There has been a major update in the case of seven foreign tourists who were hospitalised in a mystery poisoning in Fiji.
The group, including Australians and an American, fell ill after drinking cocktails at the five-star Warwick resort near the town of Sigatoka on Saturday. They were hospitalised with nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms.
A toxicology report has now been completed, and confirmed the tourists were not poisoned by alcohol or illegal drugs. Fiji’s tourism minister Viliame R Gavoka said on Wednesday: “I can confirm that no illicit substances or methanol were found in the ingredients or liquor samples. The findings that there is no evidence of alcohol poisoning is great news for Fiji, especially for our vital tourism industry.”
Mr Gavoka told reporters all seven tourists have made a full recovery. News outlets had reported the cause was suspected alcohol poisoning, similar to the case in Laos last month when six tourists – including two Australian teenagers – died after consuming drinks tainted with methanol.
Alcohol poisoning is common in some poorly regulated tourist destinations, where reputable brands of spirits are often substituted for locally distilled ethanol. Methanol can be an unintended by-product of unprofessional distillation.
Jemesa Tudravu, Fiji’s permanent secretary for health, said the illnesses might have been caused by a chemical reaction or infection. His department is continuing to investigate.
Mr Gavoka has since urged foreign governments to remove travel warnings over drink spiking in Fiji. He said: “There is no indication of people cancelling [their holidays]. What we hear is people who are in a sense of disbelief that Fiji could be spiking drinks or Fiji could be adding some harmful stuff into the cocktails.”
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said the incident was confined to a single resort. He told reporters: “We’d like to tell everybody that it’s safe to come to Fiji and we have to also find out who has been giving out the negative press about Fiji as a destination. Are they competitors for our tourist visitors?”
