Methanol ruled out as final Australian discharged following Fiji poisoning
By Penry Buckley
A toxicology report following a suspected poisoning at a holiday resort in Fiji, which resulted in four Australian tourists and three others being hospitalised, has ruled out methanol as the cause, says the country’s deputy prime minister.
Fijian Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka told reporters “no illicit substances or methanol” were found in ingredients or alcohol samples taken following the incident at the island’s Warwick Resort on Saturday, which left seven hospitalised after drinking pina coladas at the resort’s bar.
The last remaining Australian hospitalised following the incident at Fiji’s Warwick Resort was discharged from hospital on Wednesday.Credit: Nine News
“The findings that there is no evidence of alcohol poisoning is great news for Fiji,” Gavoka told a press conference on Wednesday evening.
This comes after the final Australian hospitalised following the incident was discharged from hospital. Nine News reported the woman had been medically evacuated and was returning to Australia, with footage showing her being stretchered onto a plane at Nadi International Airport, accompanied by her daughter.
In a statement, a spokesperson for DFAT said it was providing consular assistance to an Australian family in Fiji.
“Fiji police are actively investigating the incident,” it said in the statement. “We are in close contact with local authorities and stand ready to assist should they request it.”
The Fijian government is yet to reveal the cause of the poisoning. Speaking alongside Gavoka, Fiji’s health secretary James Tudravu said investigations were ongoing.
“There are many causes of the symptoms that they presented with, which included nausea and vomiting, gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as some neurological symptoms,” he said.
“It could be a chemical, it could be an infection, it could be other substances.”
Gavoka, who is also Fiji’s tourism minister, said there had been no indication the suspected poisoning had led to tourists cancelling their holidays.
“What we hear is people who are in a sense of disbelief, that Fiji could be spiking drinks, that Fiji could be adding some harmful stuff into cocktails over here,” he said, calling on governments to remove the risk of drink-spiking from their travel advisories for the island.
On Sunday, the federal government’s Smartraveller website revised its advice to Australians travelling to Fiji to include a warning about the risks of drink-spiking.
“We continue to advise exercise normal safety precautions. Be alert to the potential risks around drink-spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks. Get urgent medical help if you suspect drink spiking,” the warning read.
On Monday, Australians Tanya Sandoe and daughter Georgia Sandoe-Simpson returned to Sydney after being discharged from hospital following the poisoning.
The incident at the Warwick Resort came a month after the mass drink-poisoning in Laos that claimed the lives of six people, including Melbourne friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles.
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