British widow sues Marrakech hotel over spa fire death claim
The widow of a British man who died in a fire at the spa of a five-star hotel in Marrakech is suing the establishment’s operator before English courts. She is claiming over 500,000 pounds sterling, while the company denies any negligence.
Anthony Barnes, a 48-year-old British man from Cambridgeshire, lost his life in March 2023 at the Jaal Ryad Resort in Marrakech. He was staying at the establishment with colleagues on a business trip when a fire broke out in the spa. A hotel employee also died.
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His widow, Rachel Barnes, has filed proceedings in the High Court against Hotel Des Idrissides, the company operating the establishment under the Jaal Ryad brand. She claims that the fire and her husband’s death resulted from failures in the spa’s management and safety, according to The Independent.
Alarms at the Heart of the Battle
According to conclusions presented by her lawyer, Anthony Barnes was receiving a massage when staff discovered the fire. The widow particularly reproaches the operator for the alleged absence of a smoke detector in the room, inadequacies in emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and emergency alerts, as well as the use of materials that allegedly did not provide sufficient fire resistance.
The operator rejects these accusations. Its lawyer asserts that the fire started in the sauna, that employees immediately raised the alarm, attempted to fight the flames and evacuated clients. He also claims that the building complied with applicable Moroccan regulations and had an alarm system, emergency lighting and several functional fire extinguishers.
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A British inquiry concluded in October 2025 that the death was accidental. The spa had been engulfed in thick smoke that reduced visibility and complicated rescue operations. No hearing date has yet been set.
