Egypt’s Prosecution on Saturday said that there is no leakage of any poisons or hazardous gases from air conditioning units in the rooms of the British couple who died suddenly in a Red Sea resort last Tuesday.
The prosecution said in a statement that a technical committee of engineers checked the air conditioning system in the hotel rooms of the couple and concluded that there were not any faults.
Earlier this month, John and Susan Cooper, aged 69 and 64, were vacationing with their daughter and three grandchildren in the
John and Susan Cooper were vacationing with their daughter in Hurghada
Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada, Egypt with 301 other holidaymakers.
The daughter, Kelly Ormerod, said that her parents died within hours of each other on Tuesday, adding that they had no “health problems” before their holiday.
Ormerod said to British media that she believes that ‘an alleged faulty air conditioning system” in the hotel room might be involved in her parent’s illness that caused their deaths.
However, Egypt’s Forensic Medical Authority’s initial report showed that there were not any “bruise marks,” on the tourists’ bodies. The prosecution said in a statement that the investigation is ongoing and samples were taken for lab analysis
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism asserted that the causes of the tourists’ deaths are “normal,” explaining that both died from heart failure.
“Initial reports showed that the couple died of natural causes, and there is no suspicion of criminal activities,” a statement quoted Tourism minister Rania Al-Mashat read.
However, the travel company hosting the couple and 301 other holidaymakers, Thomas Cook decided to evacuate its guests from the hotel as a “precautionary measure.”
It added that it “received further reports of a raised level of illness among guests,” noting that it gave its guests options of continuing their vacation at other hotels in Egypt or returning to the United Kingdom (UK).
“We continue to work closely with the hotel and are supporting the authorities with their investigations,” the company said. “The Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel was last audited by Thomas Cook in late July 2018 and received an overall score of 96%.”
Concerning reports that deaths might be caused by “carbon monoxide poisoning,” the company said that there was “no evidence to support this.”
The UK Foreign Office said, ” We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in Hurghada, Egypt, and we are in contact with the local tour operator.”
