'Limited information' given on fatal boat fire

The fire happened on 11 June 2023 in the Egyptian Red Sea

An inquest into the death of a British man who died in a boat fire off the coast of Egypt has received "limited information" about what caused the blaze, a coroner has said.

Steven Hill, 73, from Ashford in Kent, died on a scuba vessel off the coast of Marsa Alam on 11 June 2023.

He, and two other Britons, had chosen to stay in their rooms while the other 12 passengers went for an early morning dive when the boat caught fire.

On Thursday, the area coroner at Kent and Medway Coroner's Court Katrina Hepburn concluded: "The cause of death could not be ascertained, however in view of the circumstances it is likely that death resulted from prolonged exposure to heat and effects of the fire fumes."

It was heard that Mr Hill, with Christina Quinn and Paul Darling, were presumed to have been asleep in their cabins when the fire started, but this was never confirmed.

Their bodies were recovered in the following days, while the other 12 passengers and 14 crew members managed to escape the fire.

It was reported the fire started in the medium-sized scuba diving boat due to a suspected electrical fault.

However, Ms Hepburn said despite "prolonged efforts" information had "not been forthcoming" to help her investigation into the cause of the fire.

She said: "It has not been possible to obtain any documentation from Egypt from this matter over the months and years since this tragic accident has occurred."

A post-mortem examination took place after repatriation, but because of the extensive damage and complications in transporting the remains, a medical cause of death was not found.

Mr Hill, who was a dog trainer and described as a "kind, loyal and supportive man", had been a keen scuba diver for more than 30 years, the inquest heard.

The inquest into the death of Christina Quinn, who was the chief executive of St Luke's Hospice in Plymouth, Devon, is being dealt with by Hertfordshire Coroner Service.

Additional reporting from PA Media.