Pina colada cocktails will be sent for testing in Australia after a group of tourists fell ill at Fiji’s Warwick resort, the country’s tourism minister has told local media.
Four Australian women aged 18 to 56 are among seven people who were rushed to hospital with suspected alcohol poisoning after drinking ready-made cocktails at the resort on Fiji’s Coral Coast on Saturday afternoon.
A selection of cocktails served at Warwick Fiji.
Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka told Fiji news outlet FBC News the drinks being investigated were pre-packaged pina coladas served from the resort’s Suva Wing Bar, and they would be sent to Australia for analysis. He said the same drinks were served at other bars, but no other guests had become ill.
“The whole case is quite mystifying, but we are doing everything we can in terms of the health ministry and the police to really determine what happened on that evening when these people were served with pina colada in one of these bars,” Gavoka told FBC News.
He said the staff member behind the bar had worked at the resort for 16 years.
The four women were taken to Sigatoka Hospital suffering nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms, the ABC reported. Two were then taken to Lautoka Hospital when their condition worsened.
Warwick Fiji in a statement on Monday morning said the resort is undertaking a “thorough investigation”.
“We are also awaiting the health authorities’ test result report to gather all necessary information,” it said. “At this moment, we do not have conclusive details, but we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our guests.”