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Anthony Barnes, 48, died in 2023 while on a business trip with colleagues in Morocco
According to a coroner’s inquest, Barnes was in the resort’s spa building where a fire broke out, trapping him inside
The coroner concluded that his death was an accident
British authorities detailed the circumstances that led to the death of a 48-year-old executive who was staying at a hotel in Morocco on a business trip in 2023.
Anthony Barnes traveled to Marrakesh with his colleagues on March 22, 2023, for a “work celebration event,” according to an inquest document obtained by PEOPLE.
The group arrived in the city around 11 a.m. local time and went to the Jaal Riad Resort where they were booked for a three-night stay.
Described on travel websites as a 5-star hotel and spa, the Jaal Riad in Marrakesh is an adults-only resort that boasts two swimming pools, a garden with a solarium, five restaurants and a bar, an art gallery, a spa area and a fitness center.
The hotel did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Around 3:00 p.m., Barnes booked a massage at the hotel’s spa and left his colleagues by the pool area.
About an hour later, according to the document, Barnes’ colleagues noticed that several hotel employees were running towards the spa building and smoke was coming out of the roof.
Unable to find Barnes, his colleagues walked around the spa building to a rear entrance where smoke was coming out of a door.
An investigation by local police found that spa staff “heard the sound of a small explosion followed by an outbreak of flames” and were trying to extinguish the fire when they “became affected by the thick smoke and poor visibility.”
“There was no indication that the fire was started deliberately,” the coroner wrote.
Emergency responders arrived around 4:20 p.m., but had trouble entering the spa. About an hour later, a stretcher was carried from the spa building and Barnes’ colleagues identified him.
He was pronounced dead at the scene that same day, according to coroner Caroline Jones, who noted that an initial autopsy in Morocco suggested he died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
His body was later repatriated to Britain where he underwent a second post-mortem examination, which found he died of smoke inhalation and coronary atherosclerosis, which refers to “gradual buildup of plaque in the walls of your arteries,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. The condition is common, but can lead to serious complications, including heart attacks and strokes.
“In the opinion of the pathologist, the fact of Anthony’s underlying and seemingly undiagnosed coronary artery disease may have been clinically significant in the setting of smoke inhalation in an environment of reduced oxygen,” the coroner wrote.
A record of inquest, also obtained by PEOPLE, stated that Barnes became trapped inside the spa during the fire, and that his death was determined to be an accident.
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According to a March 2023 article published in the Peterborough Telegraph, Barnes was the director and co-founder of The ONE Group, a recruitment company based in Peterborough.
The company shared a statement about Barnes’ death on its Facebook page at the time, writing: “It is with the greatest sadness that we share the news that Anthony Barnes, Director and co-owner of The ONE Group has died in a tragic accident whilst on an overseas business trip.”
“Ant’s dedication and commitment to the business over the last 20 years has formed extensive relationships internally and externally. We know many of you would consider yourselves friends as well as business associates and will be as shocked and saddened as we are,” the company continued. “His loss will be deeply felt by everyone who knew him.”
Read the original article on People