An inquest has heard that a British couple who passed away in Egypt were staying at a hotel that was being fumigated to eradicate bedbugs. John Cooper, aged 69, and his wife Susan, aged 63, from Burnley, Lancashire, had been on vacation in Hurghada with their daughter and three grandchildren in 2018 when they fell ill and died. The inquest heard a report that suggested exposure to an “infectious biological agent or toxic chemicals” possibly caused the couple’s deaths. It also noted that the couple were not poisoned by carbon monoxide or tainted food.
The Coopers’ daughter stated that her parents were both fit and healthy and enjoying their holiday. Susan had previously stayed at the same hotel in April of the same year and found it to be “fabulous.” She chose to vacation there again with her family. The couple’s 12-year-old granddaughter had been sleeping on a single bed in her grandparents’ room. She described the room as having a “yeasty smell.”
On August 21, John rang his daughter to inform her that he and his wife were feeling unwell. He escorted their granddaughter to her mother’s room on an upper floor. The next morning, when the couple failed to show up for breakfast, the daughter went to their ground-floor room and discovered that they were both seriously ill. The inquest heard that two doctors were in “panic mode” and tried to resuscitate the couple, but they both passed away.
German tourist, Dominik Bibi, who had arrived with seven family members, said in a statement that he had noticed a strange smell like damp upon entering the room next to the Coopers. He reported a bedbug infestation, which was then treated with pesticide, referred to as Lambda. The family members were given a different room, which was further down the corridor.
The inquest was adjourned until the next morning
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