Fijian government not ruling out methanol poisoning after tourists hospitalised

Methanol poisoning has not been ruled out as the cause of seven tourists being hospitalised after drinking at the same resort bar in Fiji.

The Fijian government is not ruling out methanol poisoning as the cause of seven tourists being hospitalised over the weekend after drinking at the same resort bar.

Fijian Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka told reporters on Monday the chance of methanol poisoning was “extreme”, but authorities wanted toxicology reports before it could be ruled out.

“We would like to wait for the results of the tests, but that would be really ‘in the extreme’. It’s something that we don’t believe is possible in Fiji.”

A group of seven tourists, including four Australians, one American and two other tourists of unknown nationality, fell ill over the weekend after drinking at a five-star resort on Fiji’s Coral Coast.

The tourists who became sick were drinking at the Warwick Resort in Fiji. Picture: Supplied

The Fijian hospitality industry was in “shock” at this incident, Mr Gavoka said, and authorities were conscious of a recent methanol poisoning incident in southeast Asia.

“We never believe this would happen. Of course, there was a case somewhere else, not long ago, and there is fear that it would be similar,” he said.

In November, six people died and at least six more were hospitalised after drinking methanol-tainted alcohol in Laos. Australian teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles lost their lives.

Mr Gavoka conceded the incident in Fiji was “very serious” and news of it had gone global.

“But the damage control is in place now, and once the facts become known, we believe it’ll bring back the confidence in Fiji very, very quickly,” he said.

“I don’t remember this ever happening in my lifetime. I spent a million years in tourism, so, we believe we’ll correct this,” Mr Gavoka said.

The incident in Fiji happened at one of the resort’s five bars. The guests who became sick were drinking pina coladas, as were many other tourists.

Fijian Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka says authorities will investigate how only seven people became sick drinking pina coladas across the resort’s many bars. Picture: ABC

Authorities are determined to understand how just seven people drinking the same cocktails as dozens of other guests at multiple bars became ill.

“Pina colada is the drink here. A lot of people drank pina colada, but it only affected these six or seven people. I think there’s something else we need to identify,” Mr Gavoka said.

Toxicology tests should be completed by police in the coming days.

“The resort here is a very highly rated resort. Very high standards, and we don’t think anything untoward happened,” Mr Gavoka said.

“We have thousands of tourists currently visiting Fiji and close to a million visit annually. This is the only reported case of its kind that we have experienced in memory.

“The tourism experience in Fiji is typically very safe, and we have acted immediately to try and discover the cause of what made the guests fall ill.”

The two patients still in hospital are all in a stable condition. The bar where the tainted drinks were served was “very full on that evening” and the bartender had 16 years in the industry, Mr Gavoka said.

Two of the Australians hospitalised in the incident, a mother and daughter, are returning to Australia.

Be alert to the potential risks around drink spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks in #Fiji. Get urgent medical help if you suspect drink spiking. Read more: https://t.co/9j211nyfUK and https://t.co/8flCXMangZ

— Smartraveller (@Smartraveller) December 15, 2024

David Sandoe’s daughter Tanya and granddaughter Georgia are among those who became sick.

Speaking from his Sydney home to Sky News on Monday, Mr Sandoe said Georgia had a “brief” seizure after consuming the tainted drink, and her mother was also sick but less so.

The pair have been discharged from hospital in Fiji and are expected to land in Sydney on Monday night.

Mr Sandoe immediately thought of the seemingly similar incident in Laos which claimed the lives of six people, including two 19-year-olds from Melbourne.

“When this news broke we all thought back to what’s recently happened in Asia, which sends shivers down your spine, so we’re so grateful and very fortunate,” Mr Sandoe said.

Reporting by the ABC points to vodka and whisky made at a run-down factory outside the Laos capital as the cause of that methanol poisoning incident. However, Laos police have arrested 11 people who were working at the hostel where the tourists consumed the tainted drinks.

David Sandoe says his family is yet to find out if their daughter and granddaughter will need ongoing treatment once they land in Sydney on Monday night. Picture: Supplied

Speaking about the Fijian incident, Mr Sandoe said police and the hotel staff had been helpful since the group became sick.

“I must say … I spoke to the hotel and they were right onto it and the police were investigating, and they’ve been fantastic in making sure the people affected are being looked after.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had also been very helpful, the grandfather said.

“We’re none the wiser but the investigation is continuing and we’ll wait for the verdict. All we’re concerned about is making sure we get our loved ones home,” he said.

“And for those others who are not as fortunate as us to have them back today, we’re still feeling for them because it is a horrific experience.”

Mr Sandoe had been told the other Australians who ended up in hospital were from northern NSW.

Toxicology reports for his daughter and granddaughter had not been finalised yet, Mr Sandoe said. They were transferred to a larger hospital in Fiji with better facilities but discharged on Monday morning, he said.

The patients were taken to hospital with varying degrees of “nausea, vomiting, and neurological symptoms”, the Australian government said.

David Sandoe says hotel staff, Fijian police and Australian foreign affairs staff have been helpful since the group became sick. Picture: Supplied

The Sandoe family were unsure if their daughter and granddaughter would need further treatment in Australia.

“As a family, we’ve been to Fiji many times. It’s just a wonderful place and we cannot speak highly enough about Fiji, so this is a complete shock to us and very unlike what’s happened before there. Hopefully, it is a once-off and they’ll get to the bottom of it.”

Pamela Sandoe confirmed that her daughter and granddaughter had been to Fiji “many times” in the past.

On the pair requiring further medical care in Sydney, Ms Sandoe is “not thinking that they will, but going to keep an eye on that upon their return”, she told NewsWire.

Ms Sandoe said that herself and husband David Sandoe had been “overwhelmed with media requests” regarding the care of Georgia and Tanya.