Seven foreigners, including five tourists from the US and Australia, were hospitalized in Fiji after consuming pina coladas at a five-star resort’s bar. The incident has raised concerns about drink spiking and methanol poisoning in the country.
According to local authorities, the guests displayed nausea, vomiting, and neurological symptoms shortly after drinking the cocktail. They were initially taken to Sigatoka Hospital and later transferred to Lautoka Hospital.
Fiji’s tourism minister stressed that this was an “extremely isolated incident” and that the resort had claimed not to have substituted ingredients or altered drink quality. Initial investigations are underway, but no further cases have been reported.
The incident comes weeks after six tourists died in Laos due to suspected methanol poisoning. Australian officials have advised tourists to be aware of the potential risks around drink spiking and methanol poisoning when consuming alcoholic drinks in Fiji.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn08qdjwkkqo