Thomas Cook evacuates 301 guests

THOMAS Cook yesterday triggered a mass exodus from the five-star German-owned hotel where the mystery deaths occurred.

It arranged for 301 British guests to be flown home or bussed to other hotels in the Hurghada area. The Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel will now be offlimits for the firm’s customers for at least a month.

The travel firm ordered the evacuation after receiving reports ‘of a raised level of illness among guests’. A spokesman said: ‘Safety is always our first priority so as a precautionary measure we have taken a decision to remove all our customers from this hotel.’ One guest, Alison Cope, told BBC Radio 4: ‘At least 40 people have had sickness, diarrhoea and been feeling unwell but Thomas Cook was keeping it very quiet. I think it was the food – it was very low-standard and it was undercooked and raw at times.’

A holidaymaker from Birmingham alleged the travel company only took complaints of sickness seriously following the Coopers’ deaths, saying: ‘After doing nothing they suddenly acted.’

He claimed the hotel doctor, chef and food safety manager had a ‘stand-up row in the main buffet restaurant’ on Wednesday. Hotel manager Dieter Geiger said it was ‘important to stick to the facts’, stressing: ‘The doctor’s preliminary report indicates that death was due to natural causes.’