Britain’s Thomas Cook said it was moving all 301 of its customers from a hotel in Hurghada, Egypt, as a precautionary measure after two of its holidaymakers died in circumstances it said were still unclear.
John Cooper, 69, and his wife Susan Cooper, a 63-year old who worked for the holiday company in Britain, were found dead at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort on Tuesday.
Thomas Cook said it had received further reports of illness among guests, without elaborating.
“Safety is always our first priority, so as a precautionary measure we have taken a decision to remove all our customers from this hotel,” the company said.
Egyptian security sources said John Cooper had felt ill late on Tuesday and died at the hotel after a doctor was called to see him. Susan Cooper was taken to hospital and died after arriving there, they said, without giving further details.
A spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office said: “We continue to support the family of a couple who died in Hurghada. Anyone staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel should follow the advice of their tour operator and the local authorities.”
Thomas Cook said it would offer the customers alternative hotels in the resort or the option to fly back to Britain later on Friday.
The company said it had last audited the hotel in late July and it had received an overall score of 96 per cent.
