Four Australians and three other tourists have been hospitalized after consuming a poisonous drink in a Fiji resort, prompting an investigation by the government to determine the cause.
According to the government, the tourists became ill after drinking a cocktail at the Warwick Fiji resort on the south of Vti Levu Island.
Confirming the incident on Monday, the resort described the food poisoning as an “extremely isolated” event that only affected seven guests who visited a specific bar within the resort.
” While we understand the concern, we want to emphasize that the tourism experience in Fiji is typically very safe, and we have acted immediately to try and discover the cause of what made these guests, at this resort, fall ill,” Fiji’s government said.
In a statement released by the resort to the public, the management said it had not substituted ingredients or altered the quality of drinks served to guests.
The resort front office manager, Mereisi Makutu, told newsmen that the management was investigating alongside security agencies to determine the cause of the contamination, and assured that efforts were being made to improve safety protocols.
” Our main priority at the moment is to look after those guests admitted to the hospital at the moment,” she added.
Meanwhile, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers has assured that consular officials are assisting those affected by the poisoning incident in Fiji, as well as their families.
In response to the incident, the Australian government has updated its travel advice for Fiji, highlighting the risks of drink spiking and alcohol poisoning.
“If Australians are traveling, be very alert to the potential risks in this case around drink spiking and alcohol poisoning,” Chalmers said.
