Four Australians are seriously ill in hospital Fiji which local authorities are suspected of alcohol poisoning.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) confirmed through a spokesperson on Sunday evening that it was providing consular assistance to two Australian families in Fiji, but declined to provide further details.
Seven foreigners, including four Australians and Americans, were hospitalized after having cocktails at the Warwick, a five-star Coral Coast hotel, local health officials said on Sunday.
A hotel guest was taken to hospital on Saturday night after suffering “nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms”, Fiji’s health ministry said.
They fell ill after having a cocktail prepared at a bar in a meeting about 60km west of the city of Suva.
The minister said the guests, aged from 18 to 56, included four Australians, one American and two foreigners who lived in Fiji, but whose nationalities were not given. All seven were initially taken to a hospital near Sigatoka.
Due to the severity of their conditions, they were later transferred to a major hospital in Lautoka on the western sea island, the ministry said.
They were looking for Fiji police.
On Monday Labor Minister Jason Clare described the “horrific” appearance of alcohol poisoning as “a real sense of terrible deja vu” after Laos in Australia the death of two teenagers.
“I guess my message for Australians traveling overseas is just be really, really careful with whatever you consume, whatever you drink when you’re overseas, and go to the Smart Traveler website to get all the information you need.”
On Sunday afternoon Dfat updated its travel advice for Fiji to highlight the risk of alcohol poisoning.
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“Be alert to the potential dangers surrounding drink spiking and methanol poisoning by consuming alcoholic beverages,” the updated advisory stated. “Get medical help immediately if you suspect you’ve been drinking alcohol.”
Guardian Australia understands that the counseling support offered to Australian families may involve hospital visits and assistance with local authorities.
The suspected alcohol poisoning comes after two 19-year-old Victorian women, Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, died of methanol poisoning in November after drinking contaminated alcohol while on vacation in Vang Vieng, Laos.
– Additional report Agence Gallia-Presse