A couple who died suddenly while on a Thomas Cook holiday in Egypt “may have been exposed to toxic chemicals” a pre-inquest review has heard.
John and Susan died on August 21 while staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in the Red Sea resort.
The Egyptian authorities said they had died as a result of E. coli infection but the couple’s daughter Kelly Ormerod has always disputed the findings.
Today, senior coroner James Adeley read from a preliminary report from Dr Nick Ghent, a senior medical advisor at Public Health England, at the pre-inquest review at Preston Coroner’s Court.
He said a natural cause of death was “highly unlikely”.
He said: “The illnesses and death did not result from radiation injury.
“It is most likely from exposure to infectious agents or toxic chemicals.”
The court heard the British authorities have still not received all the necessary medical and other reports from the Egyptian authorities to definitively establish the cause of death.
This was despite 13 requests, over six months, including from the UK Ambassador to Egypt for the evidence so the coroner can establish what happened and what caused the deaths.
A further pre-inquest hearing will be held later this year.
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