No gas leak at Egypt hotel where British couple died, prosecutors say
An inspection of John and Susan Cooper's hotel room at the Red Sea resort reveals there were no toxic or harmful gas emissions.
Sunday 26 August 2018 10:35, UK
Egypt's top prosecutor has dismissed reports that poisonous gas emissions caused the deaths of a British couple at the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
John Cooper, 69, and Susan Cooper, 63, from Burnley, Lancashire, died on Tuesday morning while on holiday at the resort with their daughter and her three children.
An inspection of the couple's hotel room revealed there were no toxic or harmful gas emissions or leaks, prosecutor Nabil Sadeq said.
His office is waiting for a forensic analysis of samples taken from Mr and Mrs Cooper.
The couple's deaths prompted tour operator Thomas Cook to evacuate 301 of its customers from the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel as a "precautionary measure".
The company said circumstances surrounding the Coopers' deaths are "unclear" and that it received reports of "a raised level of illness among guests."
Egyptian authorities dismissed criminal motives as being behind the deaths.
Medical examinations showed that the couple both fell ill after suffering "respiratory failure" while staying at the popular hotel, Egyptian officials say.
The local governor's office said the cause of Mr Cooper's death was "a sudden stoppage of the heart muscles and respiratory failure", with his wife dying due to "a stoppage of circulation and respiratory failure".
The findings were made public shortly after daughter Kelly Ormerod revealed they had been "in perfect health" just hours before they died.
She told Sky News she was convinced that "something suspicious" had happened to them, having enjoyed a family meal and then seen them off to bed at around 1.30am.
Ms Ormerod, who found them unwell at around 11am, said: "I watched them die before my very eyes and they had exactly the same symptoms.
"I believe something suspicious has gone on. I don't believe anyone has entered the room, but something has happened in that room that caused them to be taken away from us."
At least 20 people have brought legal claims against the hotel over hygiene standards.
Nick Harris, a lawyer who is representing the group, said his clients had reported becoming unwell after recent stays at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel.
Mr Harris told Sky News complaints had been made over "the food, the temperatures of the food, things like that".
He added: "It seems to be the same complaints coming back time and time again."
Jackie Elliott, 51, from Swindon, fell ill while staying at the hotel with her husband Gordon, 59, and daughter Lucy, 19.
She was taken to hospital after passing blood and being sick every time she ate something in the hotel.
Mrs Elliott told Sky News she is unsure whether her sickness was caused by food poisoning or something to do with the hotel room, such as the air conditioning.
"I got poorly first - I got sickness and diarrhoea - then that went after a couple of days," she said.
Mrs Elliott added that the family's health "went downhill" after the air conditioning in their room broke down.
"Management sent a maintenance worker in who took all of the roof [ceiling] off while we were still in there - and since then we went downhill.
The 51-year-old added that the hotel restaurant "was not very clean" but she was being sick even when she hadn't eaten there.
"We spoke to the reps throughout the whole time we were there about why we were poorly - if it was because of food poisoning or the air conditioning," she said.
After passing blood, the hotel sent Mrs Elliott to hospital where she is currently recovering on a drip.
She said the family has yet to hear from Thomas Cook.