The family of a British couple who died on a Thomas Cook holiday fear they may have been poisoned by a 'funny smell' in their hotel room
Under-pressure Egyptian officials have launched an urgent investigation, despite insisting John and Susan Cooper died of natural causes
Dozens of Britons have said they fell ill at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic resort after Thomas Cook decided to remove 300 tourists due to the deaths
Mr Cooper, a 69-year-old building firm boss, died in his hotel room last week. Mrs Cooper, 64, passed away in hospital several hours later
Speaking on her return to Britain yesterday, their daughter Kelly Ormerod said that the night before her parents died their granddaughter had planned to stay in their hotel room, but got up in the middle of the night because of an unpleasant smell
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Share this article Share She said: 'As soon as they went into the bedroom my daughter said she could smell something that was a little bit funny and wasn't right
'All they did was spray a little bit of perfume to try and eliminate the smell then fell asleep
'My daughter woke up and said she felt very unwell with the smell and she wanted to come and return to my room
'My dad came up at about 1.30am with my daughter. He was fit and healthy. He said "good night" and "I will see you tomorrow"
'The following morning they didn't come down for breakfast, so at 11am I went and knocked on the door
'As I opened the door I could see that my dad was extremely ill . Mum was in the bed, and I could tell that something was seriously wrong with them
'I knew that there was something wrong and they needed more medical attention, so we called for a doctor at the hotel
'Something in that room has actually killed them. Whether they have inhaled something that's poisoned them, I don't know
' Red Sea governor, Major General Ahmed Abd Alla, hit back at claims that authorities were trying to cover up health failings at the resort, insisting: 'We have nothing to hide
Mr Adb Alla met with Mrs Ormerod on Saturday. He refused to respond to her claims about a smell in the Coopers' room until the investigation by Egypt's prosecutor general was completed
It emerged yesterday that nearly 200 sickness claims had been made by Britons after staying at the hotel in the last four years
Lawyer Nick Harris, an expert in travel claims, said: 'It smacks of a cover-up. I'm speculating but it seems officials are doing all they can to put the blame elsewhere
' Couple reveal stomach-churning 'raw chicken' served at Egyptian hotel where British couple died
Paul and Bev Vanstone say they got salmonella at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in Egypt earlier this month
They were holidaying at the Hurghada resort with their two children and Mr Vanstone's mother when four of them came down with stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea
It is the same hotel where John and Susan Cooper, both 64, died last Tuesday during a Thomas Cook 'holiday of a lifetime'
The travel company has since removed all its guests from the hotel as a precaution
Mr Vanstone, 41, shared photos showing raw, pink chicken he claims he was served at the hotel
He said: 'There was a party of six of us that went. My wife was treated for gastroenteritis, my 14-year-old daughter went down with a vomiting and diarrhoea bug and two days before leaving I had really bad stomach cramps and diarrhoea
'While we were there we had to complain because we were served raw chicken. I ate that but if that had been my daughter
It was raw - very, very raw.'The dad-of-two said he arrived home in Oxford on August 6 and went to the doctor where he was diagnosed with high levels of salmonella poisoning
He later lodged a complaint with Thomas Cook, but said the doctor was unable to confirm exactly what made them all ill
Mr Vanstone added: 'It could be chicken, it could have been the water, it could have been anything that you can get salmonella from
"Thomas Cook said that the circumstances of Mr and Mrs Cooper's deaths were still unclear
A Thomas Cook spokesman said: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of two of our customers
'The circumstances of their deaths are still unclear. We have also received further reports of a raised level of illness among guests
'Safety is always our first priority, so as a precautionary measure we have taken a decision to remove all our customers from this hotel
'We continue to work closely with the hotel and are supporting the authorities with their investigations
'Dieter Geiger, general manager of the Aqua Magic hotel, said he and his staff were 'deeply saddened' by Mr and Mrs Cooper's deaths
He went on: 'In such a circumstance, very little can be said that will help. This makes it even more important to stick to the facts
'The doctor's preliminary report indicates that death was due to natural causes. There are no indications to support allegations of an increased incidence of illness at the hotel
'Such rash speculations should urgently be put aside out of respect for the family members of the deceased persons and for other guests
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