A British couple died from carbon monoxide poisoning after a pesticide to kill bed bugs was sprayed in the room next door at their hotel in Egypt, a coroner has ruled.
John and Susan Cooper suddenly fell ill while they were staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada in August 2018.
Mr Cooper, 69, and his wife, 63, had been enjoying a “brilliant” holiday until the eighth day of their stay, Preston Coroner’s Court heard.
Around lunchtime on 20 August the room next door to the couple – which had an adjoining locked door, was fumigated with a pesticide known as Lambda, to tackle a bed bug infestation.
The room was then sealed with masking tape around the door.
Hours later, the couple returned to the room for the night, but were both found seriously ill by their daughter the following day.
Mr Cooper was declared dead in their room on 21 August, while Mrs Cooper died in hospital.
The three-day inquest heard that in some countries Lambda is sometimes diluted with another substance, dichloromethane, which causes the body to metabolise or ingest carbon monoxide.
On Friday, Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire, ruled the couple died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning due to inhaling vapour from a pesticide which contained dichloromethane.
