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Families of Mass. women found dead in Belize say they’re ‘deeply alarmed’ by media reports about hotel’s carbon monoxide levels
Authorities in Massachusetts said the women’s cause and manner of death remain pending.
A month after three Revere women were found dead in a Belize hotel room, the women’s families say they’re no closer to definitive answers about what caused the sudden deaths.
Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Mallah, 24, and Wafae El Arar, 26, were found by staff at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro on Feb. 22. Belizean authorities later determined they died of “acute pulmonary edema” — a buildup of fluid in the lungs — but did not announce a cause.
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“We continue to believe the deaths of Wafae, Imane and Kaoutar are suspicious,” the women’s families said in a statement released through a spokesperson Monday. “We are hopeful the authorities will fulfill their responsibility to complete their reviews in a timely but thorough manner to ensure we know the full truth about what caused this tragedy.”
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The families expressed concern Belizean authorities have not yet shared toxicology results with them, adding they are “deeply alarmed” by reports that carbon monoxide levels at the Royal Kahal “could have been at dangerously high levels.” The Daily Mail reported last week authorities in Belize decided to conduct a second round of testing at the hotel after initially ruling out carbon monoxide poisoning, pointing to other guests who believed they suffered carbon monoxide poisoning during recent stays.
Boston.com has reached out to the Royal Kahal for comment. The resort abruptly closed its doors earlier this month, albeit temporarily.
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“We believe the families of all guests — past and future — deserve a clear explanation for this action,” the women’s families said. “We respectfully urge the resort’s management and Belizean authorities to share any information they have immediately, so that no other family has to endure the unimaginable pain we must now bear. Our loved ones deserve transparency and all who visit Belize, especially the resort, deserve to know they are safe.”
Breaking Belize News previously reported police found alcohol and “gummies” in the women’s hotel room, leading authorities to suspect possible overdoses.
A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner previously confirmed the office has accepted custody of the three bodies for autopsy. On Monday, the spokesperson told Boston.com the women’s cause and manner of death remain pending, with autopsy reports typically completed within 90 days.
“We speak today because we want the public and authorities, particularly those in Belize, to hear this: Kaoutar, Imane and Wafae deserve your best,” the women’s families urged. “They deserve an honest and full investigation and we ask all of those in power in both Belize and the United States to join us in demanding answers to the true cause of this tragedy.”
Read the families’ full statement:
Bismillah (In the name of God),
It has been one month since our beloved Kaoutar, Imane and Wafae passed. Our families remain and will always be shattered by the loss of three talented women just starting their adult lives and beginning to make a significant impact on the world.
Today, almost four weeks since their deaths were announced to the world, we continue to await the results of the primary investigation in Belize and a secondary review being conducted in Massachusetts.
We speak today because we want the public and authorities, particularly those in Belize, to hear this: Kaoutar, Imane and Wafae deserve your best. They deserve an honest and full investigation and we ask all of those in power in both Belize and the United States to join us in demanding answers to the true cause of this tragedy.
We continue to believe the deaths of Wafae, Imane and Kaoutar are suspicious. We are hopeful the authorities will fulfill their responsibility to complete their reviews in a timely but thorough manner to ensure we know the full truth about what caused this tragedy.
We are concerned that toxicology results, which Belizean authorities initially indicated would be available within two weeks, have not yet been released to the families. As the lead investigative authority, Belizean officials have a critical responsibility to thoroughly and transparently determine what caused this tragedy.
We are deeply alarmed by news reports which suggest that carbon monoxide levels in the hotel could have been at dangerously high levels and that the resort has now suddenly closed without public explanation. We believe the families of all guests — past and future — deserve a clear explanation for this action. We respectfully urge the resort’s management and Belizean authorities to share any information they have immediately, so that no other family has to endure the unimaginable pain we must now bear. Our loved ones deserve transparency and all who visit Belize, especially the resort, deserve to know they are safe.
Our families are incredibly grateful to the outpouring of support we have received from family, friends, leaders and loved ones since their passing. We appreciate the privacy that has been extended to our families as we grieve and are also grateful to the media who have helped ensure that Wafae, Imane, Kaoutar and the impact of their loss are a central part of your news coverage.
Our families ask for continued prayers, patience, and privacy as we navigate this unimaginable loss. May their beautiful souls rest in eternal peace. We will forever love and miss you, Kaoutar, Imane and Wafae.
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