Seven tourists in Fiji have been sent to hospital with suspected alcohol poisoning and several are reported to be in a serious condition.
They are believed to have been drinking cocktails at a bar at the resort on Saturday night local time and shortly afterwards developed nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms.
Four of the seven are Australians aged 18 to 56, one is American and the other two are also foreigners, according to local media reports citing the health ministry.
The incident comes weeks after the deaths of six tourists in the Southeast Asian country of Laos due to suspected methanol poisoning.
The Fijian tourists, who were said to be staying at the five-star Warwick Fiji Resort on the Coral Coast, were initially taken to Sigatoka Hospital.
They were all later transferred to Lautoka Hospital, according to the Fiji Times.
A 56-year-old Australian woman was under constant observation in hospital and a 19-year-old woman, also from Australia, suffered “serious medical episodes”, according to ABC News.
Two other Australian women, aged 49 and 18, are in a critical but less serious condition, the ABC reported.
The Warwick Fiji Hotel said they were taking the matter “very seriously” and were “conducting a thorough investigation” while awaiting a “test results report” from health authorities.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has advised tourists to “be aware of the potential risks of drinking and methanol poisoning through the consumption of alcoholic beverages in Fiji”.
The guide says tourists should “get emergency medical attention if they suspect drinking.”
Fiji police are said to be investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Two Australian families in Fiji are receiving consular assistance, an Australian Foreign Office spokesman told the BBC.
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