The governor in charge of the Egyptian resort town where two British holidaymakers died suddenly last week has confirmed there was an unusual smell in their hotel room, adding to fears there may have been something in the ventilation system that contributed to their deaths.

Major General Ahmed Abdullah, the Red Sea governor, told reporters in Hurghada that “there was a strange odour in the room” where John Cooper, 69, and his wife Susan, 63 fell ill last Monday night. He said the room at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel has been sealed off and protected while a committee of specialists investigate the ventilation and air conditioning systems. The Coopers’ daughter, Kelly Omerod, who was with her parent on holiday said on Sunday that she believed “there was something in the room that’s actually killed them” and that they may have inhaled something that poisoned them.

Several hotel guests who were staying at the resort at the same time as the Coopers reported gastric problems and complained of being served raw chicken and fish, and drinks in dirty glasses. The Coopers, however, had not suffered upset stomachs, Ormerod said. At least one other guest reported lung problems. Alison Cope from Birmingham said a member of her party had suffered headaches, breathing difficulties and water on the lung, which a British doctor said was consistent with legionnaires’ disease.(theguardian)…[+]