Families of six individuals who sadly died following holidays to Cape Verde have made serious allegations about the standard of hygiene at the resorts where they stayed, which they believe led to the tragedies
Six Brits have died while holidaying in Cape Verde after contracting a horror stomach bug, with four deaths reported in the last four months alone.
Elena Walsh, 64, from Birmingham, Mark Ashley, 55, of Bedfordshire, 64-year-old Karen Pooley, from Gloucestershire, and an unnamed 56-year-old man all passed away last year, between the months of August and November 2025, after contracting severe gastric illnesses. Meanwhile, legal firm Irwin Mitchell is now representing more than 1,500 other holidaymakers who have reported falling seriously ill after visiting the islands off the coast of West Africa.
It’s understood that many victims had been staying at popular all-inclusive resorts in Sal, specifically those operated by Riu Hotels and booked through the leading travel company, TUI. Families have since raised serious concerns over hygiene standards, with reports of improperly cooked food, poor sanitation, and water storage left out in the sun. It’s also been reported that one victim fractured her femur after she slipped on water from a leaking fridge
READ MORE: Everything we know as six British tourists die in Cape Verde after ‘diarrhoea illness’
Mark’s wife Emma, 55, has stated that her family are in “complete shock” over his death, sharing, “We went to Cape Verde expecting a relaxing break, but Mark became violently ill and never recovered.” The couple, who had been married for 26 years, had been staying at the five‑star Riu Palace Santa Maria resort in Sal, having paid more than £3,000 for their October trip, which they’d booked through TUI.
Three days into what should have been a dream holiday, self-employed forklift truck driver Mark began experiencing symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and extreme lethargy. Early years assistant manager Emma, who has raised concerns about hygiene at the resort, reported her husband’s illness on the app on October 9, 2025.
Sadly, after returning to the UK, Mark’s symptoms continued for some time, and the father of two, who had diabetes which was controlled through medication, ended up collapsing at his Houghton Regis home on November 12. He was taken to the hospital but was tragically pronounced dead a matter of minutes later. As confirmed by Irwin Mitchell, Mark’s death has now been referred to the coroner, with investigations continuing.
Mark’s family is, unfortunately, far from the only ones suffering following a holiday to the archipelago. Elena, a part-time nurse and mother of one, died in August 2025 after falling ill on the same island. She’s been staying at the five-star Riu Cabo Verde resort. It should have been a double celebration to mark Elena’s husband’s 60th birthday and their son’s engagement, but just a week into the £5,000 holiday, she began suffering from symptoms including sickness and diarrhoea as well as heavy sweats. She died just two days later.
Elena’s heartbroken husband, Patrick, expressed serious concerns about the hotel’s hygiene standards during their 12-night stay, alleging that food was often served lukewarm and had not been cooked properly and that the care Elena received during her illness was “chaotic”. According to Patrick, people would stand in the pool bar all day without leaving to use the toilet facilities, and he noticed the water “changing colour”.
Retired plant operator Patrick, who was married to Elena for nearly 40 years, said: “Elena was the heart and soul of our family. She was caring, compassionate, and always put others first. Elena was a wonderful wife, mum, and friend. She was loved by everyone who knew her. In the nearly 40 years we’d been together, I’d never seen Elena so poorly. By the Saturday morning, she was so weak that she had to be helped into a wheelchair to be taken from our room and into a taxi to go to the nearby clinic.
“The care she received felt chaotic, and we felt like we were in the dark around what was happening despite asking for updates. After hours of trying to treat her, they suddenly told us Elena’s organs were failing, and there was nothing they could do for her.
“We’re absolutely devastated by Elena’s death. It has absolutely broken us as a family and one of the hardest things to try to come to terms with is the sudden and distressing way in which we lost her while we were supposed to be enjoying a family holiday, which was celebrating my 60th birthday and my son getting engaged.
He continued: “I’m not sure we’ll ever get over what happened to Elena, but we have so many concerns about what caused her death. We were really worried about the hygiene at the hotel – the food was often lukewarm, the cheese on the pizza was not melted properly and seemed undercooked.
“On one night my son mentioned that the chicken tasted funny, so he stopped eating it. I found at times the food in the hotel was being rushed out to be served when it hadn’t been cooked properly, and we noticed people standing in the pool bar all day, without leaving to go to the toilet, with the water changing colour. The least we feel we deserve is answers, not just for our family, but if Elena did fall ill, and die, because of the hygiene conditions at the hotel, we can then help try and prevent other families from going through the same horrific ordeal we have endured.”
Karen, from Lydney, had travelled with a friend to the Riu Funana resort – also in Sal – on October 7, 2025, for a £3,000 fortnight’s holiday they’d booked through TUI. The retired mother-of-two became sick with gastric symptoms on October 11, including diarrhoea. In the early hours of the following day, Karen slipped on water from a leaking fridge while going to the bathroom.
After being transferred to a local clinic, Karen, remembered as the “kindest, loveliest person” continued suffering diarrhoea and vomiting, alongside severe pain from her fractured femur. On October 16, the 64-year-old was airlifted to Tenerife for urgent care, where she passed away in the early hours of the next day, Karen’s devastated husband Andy, 62, said: “We’re utterly heartbroken. Karen was the kindest, loveliest person. She was a devoted wife and mum who loved swimming, walking the dog in the Forest of Dean, and volunteered at a local charity shop. She was also a wonderful friend who lit up every room she entered.”
According to Andy, Karen appeared to be in “significant distress” when the family video-called her from home. He has also claimed that communication from both the clinic and their holiday provider was poor. He shared: “We were desperate for updates while watching Karen get worse. We’re devastated and struggling to understand how she went on holiday and never came home.”
Irwin Mitchell has stated that Karen’s initial death certificate, issued by Cape Verde authorities, said gave her cause of death as multi-organ failure, sepsis, cardio‑respiratory arrest and a broken left leg. The other two Brits who have died since 2023 are Jane Pressley, 62, of Gainsborough, who died in January 2023 after becoming sick on holiday at Riu Palace Hotel in Santa Maria, Sal, the previous November, and an unnamed man in his 60s from Watford, who died in November 2024 after suffering gastric illness following a trip to Cape Verde.
Families of all six individuals are making personal injury claims for damages against TUI, the provider of many package holidays to Cape Verde. Jatinder Paul, serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: “The number of holidaymakers to Cape Verde being struck down with serious and debilitating gastric illnesses is truly staggering. Nothing brings the gravity of this situation into sharper focus than these recent deaths.
“In my experience, I’m used to supporting holidaymakers who have fallen ill at resorts across the globe, but I’ve never seen repeated and continued illness outbreaks at the same resorts on such a scale over such a period of time. It’s almost incomprehensible that holidaymakers continue to describe the hygiene issues at these Cape Verde hotels year after year. Each case isn’t a statistic; it’s a human story of how lives have been turned upside down.
“Understandably, those we represent have serious concerns about hygiene standards in Cape Verde. While nothing can make up for what’s happened, we’re determined to at least help establish the answers they deserve. In the meantime, we call for meaningful and decisive action to get on top of the reported hygiene issues on the islands. Tour operators are responsible for ensuring the safety of those who have booked all-inclusive package holidays. Therefore, we urge them to work with the authorities to ensure the highest hygiene and safety standards are always upheld.”
A spokesperson for RIU Hotels & Resorts said: “At RIU Hotels & Resorts, the health and safety of our guests is always our main priority. RIU has been operating in Cape Verde for 20 years and currently manages six hotels, totaling 4,650 rooms and employing 3,307 staff members. We maintain an average occupancy rate of over 90% year-round, and in 2025 alone, we welcomed over 400,000 guests.
“Let us assure you that we operate with the highest standards of professionalism and service, placing hygienic-sanitary safety as our top priority. Our hotels in Cape Verde follow the strictest international health and hygiene standards, certified by external prestigious consultancy firms, specialized in health and safety.
“We reiterate that the health and well-being of our customers come first. Our commitment is to always provide maximum safety and high-quality service to provide an enjoyable holiday experience for everyone.
TUI has been contacted for comment.
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READ MORE: Horror stomach bug symptoms before four Brits died in Cape Verde holiday islands
