Thomas Cook evacuates holidaymakers from Egypt resort after British couple die

Holiday firm Thomas Cook has announced it is to evacuate all its holidaymakers from an Egyptian resort hotel after the mysterious deaths of a British couple on Tuesday.

The travel company took the decision to move the rest of the 300 guests staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada, on the Red Sea coast, after concerns about a “raised level of illness” at the resort.

In a statement, Thomas Cook called it a “precautionary measure”.

“While we understand this is upsetting for those on holiday, we believe this is the right thing to do,” the company said.

Susan Cooper, 64, and her husband John Cooper, 69, who are from Burnley in Lancashire, died in Hurghada on Tuesday. They are believed to have been on holiday with their daughter, Kelly Ormerod, and their grandchildren.

Ahmed Abdullah, the province’s governor, told the Daily Telegraph that the couple died of natural causes.

“The husband fell sick and was taken to hospital, where he died. About three hours later his wife had a shock and died,” he said.

But Thomas Cook says the circumstances of their deaths are “still unclear”.

The implication is that John Cooper may have succumbed to a “virulent illness”, says The Independent, adding that such a mass evacuation is “highly unusual for a tour operator”.

Thomas Cook says the hotel was last audited late last month and received an overall score of 96%.

“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,” the tour operator announced.

The 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.”