The tragic deaths of John and Susan Cooper during a holiday at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada has raised serious concerns about the health and safety standards at this popular resort in Egypt.

Although the exact details about what happened to the Coopers is yet to be confirmed, the health and safety of all other holidaymakers should always be the number one priority in the aftermath of serious incidents like this.

Whilst it’s pleasing to see that Thomas Cook has taken measures to relocate its remaining guests, the tour operator and the hotel owners now have a responsibility to undertake a comprehensive investigation to seek out and learn about any potential factors which may have caused this tragedy.

Prior to this week’s events, I was already representing and investigating a number of cases of serious illness at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel.

Some of these cases date back to April of this year, which draws into question this hotel’s hygiene standards for a significant period of time, during which hundreds of people will have stayed here on holiday.

Cleanliness standards, safety and hygiene procedures must be very carefully considered for the entirety of this period

Given the devastating events at this hotel in the past few days, and the extreme measures which have been taken to remove and relocate around 300 other holidaymakers, it is clear that there needs to be a thorough, detailed and open investigation into what has happened to provide answers for the Cooper family and many others affected over the last few months.