Four British holidaymakers died within four months after contracting severe gastric illnesses in Cape Verde, according to a law firm representing their families. The deaths are part of six British fatalities linked to trips to the west African islands since January 2023, with investigations into the incidents ongoing.
Elena Walsh, 64, from Birmingham, died in August 2025 after falling ill at the Riu Cabo Verde resort. Mark Ashley, 55, a self-employed forklift truck driver from Bedfordshire, collapsed and died in November after contracting a severe stomach bug at the Riu Palace Santa Maria resort in Sal. Karen Pooley, 64, a part-time nurse from Lydney, Gloucestershire, died in October after becoming sick at the Riu Funana resort, also in Sal. A 56-year-old man also died after contracting a severe gastric illness in Cape Verde during this period.
The law firm Irwin Mitchell now represents the families of all six deceased individuals and more than 1,500 people who have fallen ill after holidays in Cape Verde. All families are making personal injury claims for damages against tour operator Tui.
Families' Grief and Concerns
Emma Ashley, 55, said her family was in «complete shock» over her husband Mark's death. «We went to Cape Verde expecting a relaxing break, but Mark became violently ill and never recovered,» she said. The couple had been married for 26 years, and their trip cost more than £3,000.
Mark Ashley fell ill in October with stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and extreme lethargy. He collapsed on November 12 and was pronounced dead minutes later. His wife has raised concerns over hygiene standards at the hotel.
Andy Pooley, 62, expressed his devastation over the loss of his wife Karen. «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,» he said.
Karen Pooley travelled to Cape Verde on October 7, 2025, for a £3,000 holiday. She became sick on October 11, slipped the next day breaking her left leg, and was airlifted to Tenerife on October 16. She died in the early hours of October 17. Her initial death certificate listed multi-organ failure, sepsis, cardio-respiratory arrest and a broken left leg. Her husband claimed communication from the local clinic and holiday provider was poor. «We were desperate for updates while watching Karen get worse,» he said. «We're devastated and struggling to understand how she went on holiday and never came home.»
Legal Action and Calls for Reform
Jatinder Paul, a serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, described the scale of illnesses as «truly staggering». «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,» he said.
Paul emphasized that each case represents a human story of lives turned upside down. He called for «meaningful and decisive action to get on top of the reported hygiene issues on the islands» and urged tour operators to work with authorities to ensure the highest hygiene and safety standards are upheld.
The earlier deaths include Jane Pressley, 62, from Gainsborough, who died in January 2023 after falling ill at the Riu Palace Hotel in Santa Maria, Sal, and a man in his 60s from Watford who died in November 2024 after suffering gastric illness following a trip to Cape Verde.
Tui has been contacted for comment.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
