After the death of a British couple in an Egyptian hotel, Thomas Cook have made the decision to remove all its customers from the establishment. The travel agency said they had received “further reports of a raised level of illness among guests”.
John Cooper, 69, is thought to have had a heart attack whilst staying with his wife Susan, 63, at Steigenberger Aqua Magic in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. Ms. Cooper’s cause of death remains unclear.
Ms. Cooper was employed by the travel agency at their Burnley branch in Lancashire, where the couple was from. This branch was closed on Thursday, and the company described Susan as a “loyal and long-serving” member of staff.
Giving a statement, Thomas Cook said 301 guests will be offered alternative hotels starting Friday, with those wishing to go home being flown back on that same day:
“Safety is always our first priority, so as a precautionary measure we have taken a decision to remove all our customers from this hotel.
“While we understand this is upsetting for those on holiday, we believe this is the right thing to do.”
Other Guests Shared Their Experience
The BBC spoke to other hotel guests about their experiences with illness at the establishment.
Janine Traviss, from Oldham, said that herself and her partner suffered a stomach bug during their stay which ended earlier this month:
“I subsequently have been ill for several weeks now since returning and had to visit the doctors on two occasions with two full weeks of antibiotics.
“I am still recovering and still feel very tired and exhausted most days.”
Thomas Cook has assured the public and its customers that it is working closely with the hotel and is supporting local authorities with their investigations.
The agency said the hotel had been audited late last month and received an overall score of 96%.
Following this tragedy the tour operator stated:
“We will be contacting those customers due to travel to the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada in the next four weeks to offer alternative holiday options.”
- By Eleanor Service, Editor-In-Chief
- Sources: BBC, Sky News
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