More than 1,700 people have now joined the legal action against travel company Tui after becoming ill while on holiday in the Cape Verde islands, lawyers have told the BBC.
Lawyers from Irwin Mitchell, who are leading the personal injury claim, say they have been contacted by people who became ill there as recently as two weeks ago.
They believe at least eight Britons have now died after holidays there in recent years. In February, UK health officials warned Britons over travel to the West African archipelago following reports of stomach bugs.
Tui is investigating the claims and said it was “deeply saddened by the reports of these tragic losses”, with customer health and safety its highest priority.
It said it did “not yet have access to the full Cape Verde health report, which remains unpublished”.
Jatinder Paul, from Irwin Mitchell solicitors, told BBC Breakfast: “In all my years of doing this work, I have not seen a case this large and unfortunately so many that have died as a result of the illnesses.
“We are pursuing all of our cases against Tui. They had a responsibility in taking our clients away on a package holiday which was not going to cause them any illness. Unfortunately it was the opposite of that.”
Paul added: “If we’re unable to resolve them amicably we expect a judge in the High Court to make an order which would involve payment of millions of pounds worth of damages to our clients.”
Irwin Mitchell solicitors said its clients had reported contracting gastric illnesses such as E coli, salmonella and shigella, and parasitic infections such as cryptosporidium. Those affected include children as young as six months old, it reported.
In February, an investigation by the UK Health Security Agency found that since October 2025, there had been 112 reported cases of shigella and 43 of salmonella linked to travel to Cape Verde.
Shigella and salmonella are gastrointestinal infections which can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever.
Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony, is a popular holiday destination due to its golden beaches and year-round warm weather.
Since 2022, Tui has taken more than one million holidaymakers to Cape Verde.
Lawyers say they have been gathering evidence of issues at some hotels in the country. Footage seen by the BBC shows what appears to be undercooked food, buffets surrounded by flies and mould in rooms.
Previously the lawyers said six Britons had died after holidays in Cape Verde since January 2023 but they now believe eight people have died.
Elena Walsh and her family, from Birmingham, were among those who booked a package holiday to the island through Tui last year.
The 64-year-old had been staying at the five-star RIU Cabo Verde resort when she started to feel unwell on 8 August last year. Walsh was taken to hospital, where she died on 10 August.
Her son, Sean Walsh, said his mother had become ill very quickly.
“Through the night, we were there with her trying to see if she’d pull out of it, but she just deteriorated,” he told BBC Breakfast.
He added: “I just want people to not go there. Because, yes people can go on holidays there and come back and be fine but my mum didn’t.
“If people are willing to run that risk, then go for it but I’d say to people: don’t.”
RIU Hotels and Resorts said the health and safety of guests were its main priority, adding: “Our hotels in Cape Verde follow the strictest international health and hygiene standards, certified by external prestigious consultancy firms, specialised in health and safety.”
Karen Pooley, from Lydney, died in October after travelling to Cape Verde for a two-week holiday booked through Tui.
She became unwell on 11 October with gastric symptoms – and while running to the bathroom to be sick the next day she slipped on water leaking from a fridge and broke her leg.
Pooley, 64, was airlifted from a clinic in Cape Verde to Tenerife on 16 October and died the next day from sepsis and multi-organ failure.
Liz Pooley, Karen’s daughter, said she blamed Tui for her mother’s death. She told the BBC: “No family should go through this, no family should have to FaceTime their mum on a Friday night, and by the following Friday, organise a funeral.”
Tui said in a statement that it could not comment on individual cases, but that “customer health and safety is always our highest priority”.
“We have established procedures in place to support any customer who becomes unwell while on holiday, including access to appropriate medical care and assistance in resort.
“To provide that support, it is important that illness is reported to our teams while customers are in destination. Where this does not happen, it limits the assistance we are able to offer at the time.
“We continue to follow FCDO [UK Foreign Office] advice and engage with hotel partners and relevant authorities where appropriate.”
Throaway-Agency-152 on
Not one of the 1,700 but fell extremely ill on Sal.
The hotel in question did compensate but made me sign a NDA so I wouldn’t leave negative reviews etc.
There is a massive cover up going on between the hotels and tour operators in Cape Verde to protect their tourism industry – really the only money revenue the islands have.
For anyone considering it, do not book Cape Verde. The whole country needs to import their food and water, and there is definitely contamination in the supply chain somewhere.
Our supposed 5 star trip turned into absolute hell, and that was with one of the more reputable Hotels chains that I researched extensively beforehand about sickness etc – now I know why there wasn’t any reviews about illness, they were paying off sick customers.
The country simply hasn’t got the infrastructure for mass tourism. The towns and villages are still very much second or even third world. Plopping 5 star hotels around them does not change the infrastructure.
Initially the hotel manager was trying to bat me away to TUI, until I told him that I hadn’t booked with TUI, but with the hotel directly. Then he changed his tune.
Billoo77 on
These countries simply do not have the facilities to store and prepare food safely, it’s too hot and too poor.
I made the mistake of going to Egypt once for a 2 week holiday, had the shits from day 2 until the day I left.
JennyW93 on
I once got dropped at a hotel where there were keys laid out on the bar for everyone other than me. It was about 3am. I rang the Tui emergency line repeatedly and nobody answered. So I just had to wander around this remote town in Rhodes alone, at 19 years old, for hours until the hotel staff arrived.
When I eventually got through to Tui, they couldn’t have given less of a shit. The hotel staff were mortified. I’ve avoided Tui like the plague since.
Edit. I’m saying ‘hotel’ – I mean self-contained apartments, hence no overnight staff
himmygal on
People go for cheap all inclusive holidays in very poor countries with scrappy infrastructure and then wonder why they get sick? Colour me surprised……Cape Verde are dry and hot islands – with very limited natural water supply and as others have pointed the country can’t support mass tourism. Sorry that people got seriously ill but I struggle to have much sympathy.
Brave-Background-539 on
We spent just shy of £4,000 to go to Cape Verde for a week and we were so ill that when we came back we said it was the worst holiday we’d ever been on (and the most expensive) we took our 1 year old and 3 year old too and everyone was so unwell.
We were also mis-sold the holiday while out there and got told we had access to 3 hotels but got escorted out by security of one of those hotel we tried to visit as they said they’d stopped accepting guests from other hotels. (All Riu hotels).
We found the only way to get through it was to get the buffet for opening as it was the only place to eat and it was at its freshest. If you went in later everything was covered in flies.
SunSimilar9988 on
We had food poisoning in fuerteventura, and hotel told us to get lost
jderm1 on
Saw some footage this morning on BBC Breakfast and it was shocking tbf. Undercooked chicken and a breakfast buffet swarming with flies all over everything.
Shmeckless on
Went to Cape Verde, it was shit. Sal is like being on Mars, just a lump of rock in the sea with fake beaches. Got engaged, also got sick. Don’t go.
Errtu on
Went for 4 weeks island hopped had a amazing time and never got ill.
damnit-beavis on
Last week I booked to go here. Now this comes out and TUI say I need to pay £50 per person to change my destination. That seems awfully unfair. Anyone else able to change their destination?
DuckWhatduckSplat on
Having seen videos of the buffet covered in flies… if you see that and still decide to tuck in then you deserve it.
Go to a shop, get packaged sandwiches, get evidence of the state of the hotel to get a refund. Don’t frigging eat food you know is crawling with flies!
SkyExpensive5777 on
We had booked cape verde RUI palace hotel for the start of March. Then the news broke on the BBC website about the deaths and the class action. I phoned TUI to change the destination to Egypt, 10 days prior to flying. Just didn’t feel it was safe to go there. They charged us 90% admin fee. Despite us saying the place isn’t fit for holidaymakers and the health concerns we had. Their reply was that it was perfectly safe for a holiday…and there were no issues.
WhiteBlueSpurs on
Went about ten years ago not really knowing what to expect. There were a few times I was served raw chicken and sent it back. Not to mention the amount of flies we saw on the buffet
SmartDiscussion2161 on
Crikey we so nearly booked to go to Sal earlier this year. The only reason we didn’t was because the school hasn’t confirmed its insert days!
15 commenti
More than 1,700 people have now joined the legal action against travel company Tui after becoming ill while on holiday in the Cape Verde islands, lawyers have told the BBC.
Lawyers from Irwin Mitchell, who are leading the personal injury claim, say they have been contacted by people who became ill there as recently as two weeks ago.
They believe at least eight Britons have now died after holidays there in recent years. In February, UK health officials warned Britons over travel to the West African archipelago following reports of stomach bugs.
Tui is investigating the claims and said it was “deeply saddened by the reports of these tragic losses”, with customer health and safety its highest priority.
It said it did “not yet have access to the full Cape Verde health report, which remains unpublished”.
Jatinder Paul, from Irwin Mitchell solicitors, told BBC Breakfast: “In all my years of doing this work, I have not seen a case this large and unfortunately so many that have died as a result of the illnesses.
“We are pursuing all of our cases against Tui. They had a responsibility in taking our clients away on a package holiday which was not going to cause them any illness. Unfortunately it was the opposite of that.”
Paul added: “If we’re unable to resolve them amicably we expect a judge in the High Court to make an order which would involve payment of millions of pounds worth of damages to our clients.”
Irwin Mitchell solicitors said its clients had reported contracting gastric illnesses such as E coli, salmonella and shigella, and parasitic infections such as cryptosporidium. Those affected include children as young as six months old, it reported.
In February, an investigation by the UK Health Security Agency found that since October 2025, there had been 112 reported cases of shigella and 43 of salmonella linked to travel to Cape Verde.
Shigella and salmonella are gastrointestinal infections which can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever.
Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony, is a popular holiday destination due to its golden beaches and year-round warm weather.
Since 2022, Tui has taken more than one million holidaymakers to Cape Verde.
Lawyers say they have been gathering evidence of issues at some hotels in the country. Footage seen by the BBC shows what appears to be undercooked food, buffets surrounded by flies and mould in rooms.
Previously the lawyers said six Britons had died after holidays in Cape Verde since January 2023 but they now believe eight people have died.
Elena Walsh and her family, from Birmingham, were among those who booked a package holiday to the island through Tui last year.
The 64-year-old had been staying at the five-star RIU Cabo Verde resort when she started to feel unwell on 8 August last year. Walsh was taken to hospital, where she died on 10 August.
Her son, Sean Walsh, said his mother had become ill very quickly.
“Through the night, we were there with her trying to see if she’d pull out of it, but she just deteriorated,” he told BBC Breakfast.
He added: “I just want people to not go there. Because, yes people can go on holidays there and come back and be fine but my mum didn’t.
“If people are willing to run that risk, then go for it but I’d say to people: don’t.”
RIU Hotels and Resorts said the health and safety of guests were its main priority, adding: “Our hotels in Cape Verde follow the strictest international health and hygiene standards, certified by external prestigious consultancy firms, specialised in health and safety.”
Karen Pooley, from Lydney, died in October after travelling to Cape Verde for a two-week holiday booked through Tui.
She became unwell on 11 October with gastric symptoms – and while running to the bathroom to be sick the next day she slipped on water leaking from a fridge and broke her leg.
Pooley, 64, was airlifted from a clinic in Cape Verde to Tenerife on 16 October and died the next day from sepsis and multi-organ failure.
Liz Pooley, Karen’s daughter, said she blamed Tui for her mother’s death. She told the BBC: “No family should go through this, no family should have to FaceTime their mum on a Friday night, and by the following Friday, organise a funeral.”
Tui said in a statement that it could not comment on individual cases, but that “customer health and safety is always our highest priority”.
“We have established procedures in place to support any customer who becomes unwell while on holiday, including access to appropriate medical care and assistance in resort.
“To provide that support, it is important that illness is reported to our teams while customers are in destination. Where this does not happen, it limits the assistance we are able to offer at the time.
“We continue to follow FCDO [UK Foreign Office] advice and engage with hotel partners and relevant authorities where appropriate.”
Not one of the 1,700 but fell extremely ill on Sal.
The hotel in question did compensate but made me sign a NDA so I wouldn’t leave negative reviews etc.
There is a massive cover up going on between the hotels and tour operators in Cape Verde to protect their tourism industry – really the only money revenue the islands have.
For anyone considering it, do not book Cape Verde. The whole country needs to import their food and water, and there is definitely contamination in the supply chain somewhere.
Our supposed 5 star trip turned into absolute hell, and that was with one of the more reputable Hotels chains that I researched extensively beforehand about sickness etc – now I know why there wasn’t any reviews about illness, they were paying off sick customers.
The country simply hasn’t got the infrastructure for mass tourism. The towns and villages are still very much second or even third world. Plopping 5 star hotels around them does not change the infrastructure.
Initially the hotel manager was trying to bat me away to TUI, until I told him that I hadn’t booked with TUI, but with the hotel directly. Then he changed his tune.
These countries simply do not have the facilities to store and prepare food safely, it’s too hot and too poor.
I made the mistake of going to Egypt once for a 2 week holiday, had the shits from day 2 until the day I left.
I once got dropped at a hotel where there were keys laid out on the bar for everyone other than me. It was about 3am. I rang the Tui emergency line repeatedly and nobody answered. So I just had to wander around this remote town in Rhodes alone, at 19 years old, for hours until the hotel staff arrived.
When I eventually got through to Tui, they couldn’t have given less of a shit. The hotel staff were mortified. I’ve avoided Tui like the plague since.
Edit. I’m saying ‘hotel’ – I mean self-contained apartments, hence no overnight staff
People go for cheap all inclusive holidays in very poor countries with scrappy infrastructure and then wonder why they get sick? Colour me surprised……Cape Verde are dry and hot islands – with very limited natural water supply and as others have pointed the country can’t support mass tourism. Sorry that people got seriously ill but I struggle to have much sympathy.
We spent just shy of £4,000 to go to Cape Verde for a week and we were so ill that when we came back we said it was the worst holiday we’d ever been on (and the most expensive) we took our 1 year old and 3 year old too and everyone was so unwell.
We were also mis-sold the holiday while out there and got told we had access to 3 hotels but got escorted out by security of one of those hotel we tried to visit as they said they’d stopped accepting guests from other hotels. (All Riu hotels).
We found the only way to get through it was to get the buffet for opening as it was the only place to eat and it was at its freshest. If you went in later everything was covered in flies.
We had food poisoning in fuerteventura, and hotel told us to get lost
Saw some footage this morning on BBC Breakfast and it was shocking tbf. Undercooked chicken and a breakfast buffet swarming with flies all over everything.
Went to Cape Verde, it was shit. Sal is like being on Mars, just a lump of rock in the sea with fake beaches. Got engaged, also got sick. Don’t go.
Went for 4 weeks island hopped had a amazing time and never got ill.
Last week I booked to go here. Now this comes out and TUI say I need to pay £50 per person to change my destination. That seems awfully unfair. Anyone else able to change their destination?
Having seen videos of the buffet covered in flies… if you see that and still decide to tuck in then you deserve it.
Go to a shop, get packaged sandwiches, get evidence of the state of the hotel to get a refund. Don’t frigging eat food you know is crawling with flies!
We had booked cape verde RUI palace hotel for the start of March. Then the news broke on the BBC website about the deaths and the class action. I phoned TUI to change the destination to Egypt, 10 days prior to flying. Just didn’t feel it was safe to go there. They charged us 90% admin fee. Despite us saying the place isn’t fit for holidaymakers and the health concerns we had. Their reply was that it was perfectly safe for a holiday…and there were no issues.
Went about ten years ago not really knowing what to expect. There were a few times I was served raw chicken and sent it back. Not to mention the amount of flies we saw on the buffet
Crikey we so nearly booked to go to Sal earlier this year. The only reason we didn’t was because the school hasn’t confirmed its insert days!