TUI Sued Over Cape Verde Deaths

Families of six British holidaymakers who died and over 1,500 others who fell ill after trips to Cape Verde are pursuing personal injury claims against TUI Group, the package holiday provider. The law firm Irwin Mitchell is representing the claimants, alleging that TUI Group breached its duties under the Package Travel Regulations 2018 by failing to provide safe facilities. The deceased include Elena Walsh, Mark Ashley, and Karen Pooley, who suffered severe gastric illnesses at various RIU Hotels resorts in Sal, Cape Verde. Investigations into the deaths are ongoing, with some initial death certificates citing multi-organ failure and sepsis. The European Union — European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the United Kingdom — UK Health Security Agency have reported a surge in shigella infections linked to travel to Cape Verde, prompting a warning from the Foreign Office. TUI Group is contesting the allegations, while RIU Hotels stated that routine testing found no shigella.