Hygiene tests at Egypt hotel after tourists' deaths

John and Susan Cooper died on 21 August while staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in Hurghada

The Egyptian government has ordered a thorough investigation into hygiene standards at a hotel where a British couple were staying when they died.

John and Susan Cooper died after falling ill at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in Hurghada on 21 August.

The bodies of the couple from Burnley, Lancashire, will be flown back to the UK next week after post-mortem tests.

Egypt's attorney general will lead a "thorough and independent" probe into food, water and air conditioning.

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Egypt's minister of tourism, Rania Al-Mashat, issued a statement pledging authorities would "leave no stone unturned" to establish the cause of their deaths.

'Forensic detail'

The statement followed a meeting between the government and Peter Fankhauser, chief executive of tour operator Thomas Cook, which was carrying out its own tests at the hotel.

Mr Cooper, 69, died in his room, while Mrs Cooper, 63, a Thomas Cook employee, died after being taken to hospital.

The Red Sea Governorate previously said medical checks by a health inspector revealed "no criminal suspicions".

Kelly Ormerod insisted a strange odour in her parents' room had something to do with their deaths

The couple's daughter Kelly Ormerod had described finding her parents ill in their room, hours after going to bed "fit and healthy".

Ms Ormerod said she was convinced her parents were killed by "something that happened in that room".

In a statement, Ms Al-Mashat said a working group led by attorney general Nabil Sadeq would examine "in forensic detail all hygiene aspects" of the hotel.

She said the findings of the investigation and the outcome of the post-mortem examination would be made public next week.

Egypt's attorney general will led a forensic enquiry into hygiene standards at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel

Thomas Cook said on Wednesday it was carrying out its own tests and hoped to obtain permission from the Egyptian authorities to access the hotel room where the Coopers were staying.

Mr Fankhauser has previously insisted there was "no real evidence what caused the deaths" but pledged to "get to the bottom of it and to get to the cause".