Australian tourists have been warned their drinks could become spiked wherever they stay after a five-star resort in Fiji and a dingy hostel in Laos were at the center of mass poisonings in two separate incidents.
Four Australians aged between 18 and 56 were among seven guests rushed to hospital on Saturday after drinking in Warwick Fiji on the holiday island’s Coral Coast.
The girlfriend of one victim told Daily Mail Australia she was ‘foaming at the mouth’ and having seizures, while another was bleeding from her ears.
All guests had improved to stable condition as of Monday.
The incident comes after six tourists, including two Australians, were killed after drinking drinks laced with methanol at a two-star hostel in Laos in November.
While Fijian authorities have yet to determine whether the latest incident is due to methanol poisoning, the country has again urged Australians to exercise caution when drinking abroad.
Dean Long, CEO of the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA), told Daily Mail Australia that methanol poisonings are rare but can happen anywhere in the world.
‘These events do indeed happen. They happen in Australia, they happen all over the world so they are not destination specific,” he said.
Australian travelers have been urged to follow safe drinking habits abroad after two suspected incidents of methanol poisoning in recent weeks
Six people, four of them Aussies, were hospitalized on Saturday evening after drinking cocktails at the pool at the Warwick Fiji resort (pictured) in the south of Fiji’s main island
More than 400,000 Aussies traveled to Fiji last year – a holiday hotspot considered a ‘safe destination’ for tourists.
“In this situation, these people did everything right,” Mr. Long said.
‘They had a drink at a beautiful location. You would expect this to be the safest place you could be.”
Among those affected by the suspected alcohol poisoning were Tanya Sandoe, 56, and her daughter Georgia Sandoe-Simpson, 19, from Sydney’s northern coast.
Georgia had suffered a seizure after drinking the cocktail and was the sickest of the pair.
Relieved grandmother Pamela Sandoe told Daily Mail Australia they have both been released from hospital and are now flying back home.
Mr Long said individuals could replace methanol with alcohol because it was cheaper or because they wanted to “cause harm”.
He added that those responsible “must be locked up” and had full confidence in the Fijian government to thoroughly investigate the matter.
Georgia Sandoe-Simpson, 19, (pictured) suffered a seizure as a result of the suspected poisoning
Georgia’s mother Tanya (left) was also hospitalized but the couple are now flying home after being cleared to travel on Monday
“We know the Fijian government is going to throw the book at these people and lock them up because the tourism industry is so important to that community,” Mr Long said.
Earlier this month, police arrested the owner of the factory identified as the suspected source of methanol poisoning in Laos.
The factory is located outside the capital Vientiane and is said to have made the local Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whiskey.
The recent round of arrests now means that twelve people have been arrested for their alleged connection with the toxic alcohol.
Mr Long urged Australians to follow safe drinking practices no matter where they are abroad and how good the quality of the location is.
His tips include “keeping an eye out when it’s being made” to make sure the bottles aren’t contaminated, or asking for a fresh bottle of spirits.
“But pre-mixed drinks sealed in a secure container are likely to be preferred when traveling,” Mr Long said.
“If you want some spirits, maybe buy them in Australia and take them abroad and consume them safely there, then drink those pre-mixed, secure drinks when you go into town.”
Mr Long said a number of Australians have also started traveling with kits capable of testing whether methanol remains safe.