Dec. 16 (UPI) — Seven foreign tourists in Fiji were hospitalized after enjoying rum cocktails at a bar at a luxury resort, officials said on Monday as they investigated the cause of the poisoning.

The victims had been staying at the five-star Warwick Fiji resort on the Coral Coast when they fell ill on Saturday and had symptoms of nausea, vomiting and neurological problems. Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka told reporters during a news conference on Monday that only two remained in hospital and were in stable condition.

“Our thoughts are with the affected guests and their families during this difficult time and I will ensure that they receive the best possible medical care,” he said.

Although the cause of the poisoning was unknown, Gavoka suspected that the drink consumed by the seven victims was a pina colada, a rum cocktail that he described as “pretty harmless” and popular in the South Pacific archipelago nation.

In the resort’s defense, Gavoka said the bar where the victims were served was busy Saturday evening and that many people who were not sick drank the rum cocktail.

Gavoka said the resort in Fiji had operated successfully for many years without incident, pointing out that no one at the other four bars that night got sick and the bartender who served the victims had 16 years of experience.

“Resort management has assured us that they did not engage in practices such as substitution of ingredients or altering the quality of drinks served to guests,” he said, describing the poisoning as “an isolated incident.”

He declined to speculate on the cause of the poisoning, saying they were awaiting the results of police investigations and toxicology reports, which could take several days.

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed in a press conference that four Australians were among the victims.

In response to the poisoning, Australia updated its travel advice for Fiji, which now says: “Be alert to the potential risks associated with alcohol spikes and methanol poisoning from consumption of alcoholic beverages.”

The incident comes after six tourists in Laos died after allegedly drinking tainted alcohol at a popular backpacker destination in November.

“The Government of Fiji would like to reassure both local and international visitors to Fiji that this is a very isolated incident,” Gavoka said. “Thousands of tourists are currently visiting Fiji and almost a million tourists safely visit there every year. This is the only reported case of this type we have experienced in recent memory and there has certainly been nothing like it this year.”