Salmonella Victims And Others Call For Action After Problems At Club Hotel Riu Karamboa

Specialist travel lawyers have revealed they have been contacted by a number of frustrated holidaymakers who want answers after their stays at a five-star Cape Verde resort last year were ruined by serious gastric illness problems.

Irwin Mitchell’s specialist International Personal Injury team has now been instructed by 15 people who developed symptoms including diarrhoea, abdominal pains and vomiting during and after holidays at the Club Hotel Riu Karamboa across September, October and November last year.

Among those affected is a 24-year-old woman from Reading who developed salmonella who after staying at the resort needed to take two weeks of unpaid leave because of the symptoms she was suffering. Others who have contacted the legal experts include couples whose wedding anniversary celebrations at the site were also ruined by the problems.

Following the instructions, the specialist lawyers are continuing to investigate the issues that holidaymakers faced during their breaks booked through TUI UK Limited and are working to develop a clearer picture of the issues which emerged.

Clare Pearson, the legal expert at Irwin Mitchell who is representing the group of holidaymakers, said: 

Expert Opinion

“We have now heard numerous accounts from people who faced illness problems during their time at the Club Hotel Riu Karamboa across September and October last year and are determined to ensure that their voices get heard on this matter.

“Additionally we also represent a number of people who went to the hotel in 2016 and also suffered similar problems with gastric illness.

“As this case highlights, gastric illnesses of this nature are a very serious issue and can have a lasting impact on those affected – often forcing them to take time off work and causing major disruption to their home lives in the process.

“We are already hard at work determining whether more could have been done to prevent the issues, in the hope that steps can be taken to learn lessons and prevent similar problems emerging again in the future. If you also stayed at this resort and experienced similar problems we would like to hear from you to assist with our on-going enquiries." Clare Pearson - Legal Executive & Associate

Among the holidaymakers to contact Irwin Mitchell is Anita Chiasson, 24, from Reading, who stayed at the Club Hotel Riu Karamboa for a week towards the end of September with her partner.

She recalled: “Fortunately I was well during the holiday but it was on the flight home that I started to really struggle with the illness. I thought it would pass but once I was back in the UK I visited my GP and following tests it was confirmed I had salmonella.

“I was given fibre supplements which helped my symptoms to improve, although I do still suffer some ongoing symptoms even now and I do not feel like I have made a full recovery. It is just devastating to think about what I have been through and I even needed to take two weeks off unpaid at my new job due to the issues. I’m so frustrated this happened and I just want answers as to whether more should have been done.”

Another holidaymaker who was affected was David Church, 54, from Bournemouth whose fortnight-long anniversary break at the resort with his wife Mandy from September 23rd was hit by illness.

He said: “The symptoms really hit me early on in the holiday and I even went to a chemist to get some advice and medication to recover. When we told the rep what had happened they mentioned that an illness had been going around and that hand sanitisers had been placed around the resort. I was surprised to hear this because there had been no warning of illness at the hotel before we travelled to Cape Verde.

“I was ill for the majority of the holiday so it was massively disappointing, especially when we were meant to be celebrating our 32nd wedding anniversary. After everything I went through we just feel we deserve some form of answers regarding the illness and the steps being taken to prevent it from happening again.”

Marie Dowell, 47, from Leicester, fell ill a few days into her week-long holiday at the Club Riu Karamboa with her husband Adrian.

She said: “Our break was to mark our first wedding anniversary yet sadly now we will only remember it for all of the wrong reasons. We were told by the Rep that an illness was going around, but it is really concerning to see the real extent and the number of people affected.

“Everyone who has faced problems as a result of this deserves answers as soon as possible. It is simply unacceptable.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in holiday illness claims.