A British couple died after staying in an Egyptian hotel room next to another which had been fumigated to kill bed bugs, an inquest heard.
John Cooper, 69, and his wife, Susan, 63, died suddenly in August 2018 after becoming ill while staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada, Blackburn Coroner's Court heard. An expert report ruled out carbon monoxide and food poisoning, but suggested possible exposure of an infectious biological agent or toxic chemicals". A German tourist told proceedings he had reported a bed bug infestation next door to the couple which was treated with pesticide. The Coopers, from Burnley, Lancashire, had a locked adjourning room to the German’s and died the next day.
Kelly Ormerod, the couple’s daughter, said her parents were fit and healthy for their age and had been enjoying a "brilliant" holiday with her, their three grandchildren and family friends at the time. Her mother had been to the same hotel in April the same year and described it as "fabulous", and decided to go back with the whole family. On the evening of the August 20 they all went to the hotel restaurant and a bar, before retiring and Ms Ormerod's daughter, Molly, then aged 12, was staying on a single bed in her grandparents' room. However when she complained of a "yeasty smell" Mr Cooper escorted her upstairs to her mother’s room.
The next morning the couple failed to emerge for breakfast, so Ms Ormerod went to their ground floor room and found they were seriously ill. Two doctors were summoned but they were in "panic mode", Ms Ormerod said, as her parents further deteriorated and her father struggled to breathe. She added of her father: “His eyes kind of... a glazed, staring look."
CPR was attempted but Mr Cooper was declared dead on the hotel room floor and his wife was taken to a clinic at the hotel where she became "super agitated" and delirious, the inquest heard. Mrs Cooper was taken to hospital by ambulance but declared dead at 4.12pm. Both were returned to the UK in sealed, zinc-lined coffins, the inquest heard.
A statement was read from Dominik Bibi, a truck dispatcher from Germany, who arrived with seven family members in the early hours of August 20. Mr Bibi said his mother-in-law, who used a wheelchair, was booked to stay in room 5106, the ground-floor room next to the Cooper's room. He said in a statement added: "On entering I immediately noticed a funny smell, like that of mould or damp. There was a lot of bed bugs in the bed and under it."
He said a cleaner and night manager came and apologised and his mother-in-law took his and his wife's room, further down the corridor at 5102. Hours later around lunchtime he was outside her room when he saw three men, two wearing the hotel uniform and the other with a two or three litre pesticide canister he assumed was being used to get rid of the bed bugs.
After five or 10 minutes they left the room and used masking tape to tape up around the door and seal the room. The statement described the job as “not very professional”. The hearing was adjourned.