(Newser) – A UK couple's family wants answers after the pair suddenly died within hours of each other while vacationing in Egypt. Daughter Kelly Ormerod, who was on holiday with John Cooper, 69, and Susan Cooper, said to be in her early 60s, at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel in Hurghada, says the two were "fit and healthy," reports the BBC. Egyptian authorities say John Cooper died in his hotel room around 11am local time after a "sharp drop in blood circulation and a sudden stop in the heart muscle"; the cause of death was "sudden failure in the heart muscle and respiratory failure." Just a few hours later, Susan Cooper began to faint and was taken to the hospital, where she died due to "drop of blood circulation and respiratory functions." Local officials say there doesn't seem to be anything criminal about their deaths.

An executive for the hotel's parent company says the hotel's other 1,600 or so guests were not ill in unusual numbers, but a woman staying there tells the BBC that she's heard of about 40 people sick with vomiting and diarrhea. "A reasonable person can't help but wonder if there's a link between that illness and these deaths," she says. Past guests also tell the BBC they got sick after staying there. Ormerod, meanwhile, reportedly expressed concern to local officials that a malfunctioning AC may have contributed to her parents' deaths, per the Telegraph. Thomas Cook, the travel company the Coopers went through, issued a statement noting it was "deeply saddened" by their deaths and that it has no evidence to support rumors the couple may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The company says it's helping customers fly home or find other accommodations. (Read more mystery stories.)

