Family members of three American women mysteriously found dead in a Belize hotel room last month have questioned the integrity of local officials and accused them of withholding vital information about the investigation into their deaths.
Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Mallah, 24, and Wafae El Arar, 26, were found dead inside their room at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro on February 22, having each suffered acute pulmonary edema – a build-up of fluid in the lungs.
Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams quickly suggested the women may have suffered a drug overdose, despite no illicit substances being found in their room, which outraged the women’s loved ones.
Their remains have since been flown back to their home state of Massachusetts where the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is conducting a second autopsy.
DailyMail.com previously revealed, citing a source close to one of the families, that preliminary autopsy results showed signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Other guests at Royal Kahal have also come forward claiming to have suffered CO poisoning while staying at the luxury resort.
Williams then announced last week that authorities have conducted a second round of carbon monoxide tests at the hotel having previously claimed initial tests found nothing of concern.
Now, in a new statement, the families of Naqqad, Mallah, and El Arar have questioned the honesty and meticulousness of the Belizean cops’ investigation to this point.
Addressing authorities in Belize directly, the women’s families said their late loved ones deserve better treatment than what they’ve received.
The victims: Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Mallah, 24, and Wafae El Arar, 26. A source close to one of their families says preliminary autopsy results show signs of carbon monoxide poisoning
Three women were found dead in the above hotel room at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort. DailyMail.com’s source ‘Jane’ arrived just over a week later
Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams confirmed more carbon monoxide tests are being conducted at the hotel
‘We speak today because we want the public and authorities, particularly those in Belize, to hear this: Kaoutar, Imane and Wafae deserve your best,’ reads the statement in part, which was shared with DailyMail.com on Monday.
‘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.’
The women’s families also said they are ‘concerned’ that the results of a toxicology report conducted in Belize have still not been released to them, despite being told they would be ‘available with in two weeks.’
‘As the lead investigative authority, Belizean officials have a critical responsibility to thoroughly and transparently determine what caused this tragedy,’ continues the statement.
‘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.
The families say they remain ‘shattered’ by the loss of Naqqad, Mallah, and El Arar, but are grateful for the outpouring of support they’ve received over the last month.
Williams has not returned repeated requests for comment.
He told local reporters on March 14 that the CO tests at Royal Kahal were still being finalized and he expected the women’s toxicology results to be returned within the next two weeks.
‘That is going to give us some good guidance in terms of what may have led to the death of these three women,’ he said.
‘I still don’t want to speculate at this time and await the result of the toxicology report.’
Kaoutar Naqqad (right), 23, Imane Mallah (center), 24, and Wafae El Arar (left), 26, were found dead in San Pedro on February 22
Belize Fire Chief Colin Gillett previously told Belizean media that carbon monoxide poisoning had been ruled out following an investigation.
However, last week, Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai told 7NewsBelize that abnormal levels of carbon monoxide were found inside the hotel.
Sources close to that investigation reportedly told the network the levels registered about 500 PPM – which is dangerously high and poses a serious health risk.
A guest at the Royal Kahal, who DailyMail.com is identifying under the pseudonym ‘Jane’, believes she suffered carbon monoxide poisoning at the hotel a week after the women were found dead, having been assured by Royal Kahal staff that the resort was safe.
Jane and a group of her friends checked into the Royal Kahal on March 1.
Concerned by the news of their deaths, she reached out to the hotel on February 25 to ask ‘Is it safe to come?’ messages shared with DailyMail.com show.
A hotel representative identified as ‘Daniel’ assured her there ‘are no safety issues’ at the Royal Kahal and the ‘sad incident’ involving Naqqad, Mallah, and El Arar was out of their control.
‘While we are still waiting on the authorities to formally release their findings, all signs indicate that this was a drug overdose,’ wrote Daniel.
‘As unfortunate as these circumstances are, there is nothing the hotel could’ve done to prevent these deaths.’
Jane’s concerns were quickly assuaged by the hotel’s explanation, so she and her friends decided to proceed with their booking.
But Jane said that five days into the trip, she awoke in the morning and her left leg was completely numb. She said she was also experiencing dizziness, blurred vision, and a headache.
When she attempted to get up to go to the restroom, Jane said she collapsed to the ground.
‘I laid on the ground for, I’d say, at least 30 to 40 minutes because I could not pull myself up, I just had no strength in my body, it was the weirdest thing,’ shared Jane.
‘I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life. I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.’
The women’s families paid tribute to each of them in a heartfelt statement on Monday
Excerpts from a text exchange between Jane and a representative of Royal Kahal show the hotel assuring Jane’s safety, insisting the women’s deaths were caused by a drug overdose
After finally gathering the strength to get up, she spent the next three hours seated in a chair by an open window before she was finally able to walk again.
She said she was still struggling with headaches, a cough, brain fog, and blurred vision five days after returning home to California.
One of Jane’s friends on the trip had also been suffering from recurring migraines, she said.
All of the symptoms described by Jane are textbook side effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Jane has sought medical treatment and contacted Royal Kahal and the U.S. Embassy to report her story.
One of Jane’s friends on the trip was told by embassy officials that initial tests found some rooms at the hotel contained ‘high levels of carbon monoxide.’
The U.S. Embassy declined to comment on those claims, sharing only that their office ‘continues to work with the Belizean law enforcement in the investigation into this case. We also have close contact with the families of the victims.
‘We don’t have further information to release about the investigation or other incidents at the Royal Kahal resort.’
However, a recent review on Royal Kahal’s Trip Advisor page, dated March 1, complains of ‘critical safety concerns’ during a visit to the resort in February.
‘I had a wonderful stay at Royal Kahal Beach Resort from February 17th-21st. The staff was exceptional – [the] front desk, maintenance, housekeeping, bartenders, and beach staff went above and beyond. The beauty of San Pedro, Belize, and the warmth of its people made this trip unforgettable,’ wrote user Naquana H.
‘However, I cannot, in good faith, rate the hotel highly due to serious safety concerns. On February 18th, our carbon monoxide detector went off with levels above 400.
‘Despite informing the front desk, the staff seemed unfamiliar with the issue. Maintenance suggested turning off the gas, but the CO levels remained dangerously high. We were left feeling uneasy. The next morning, a friend reported dizziness, which we now suspect was from CO exposure.
‘While the hotel is beautiful, the lack of CO detectors is concerning. I urge management to address this for the safety of future guests.’
A review posted on Trip Advisor just over a week ago complained of carbon monoxide exposure and ‘critical’ safety concerns at Royal Kahal
While the investigation into the deaths of Naqqad, Mallah, and El Arar remains ongoing, Jane said she’s furious the hotel lured her into a potentially dangerous situation with false promises of guaranteed safety.
She said her heart breaks for the women’s families and feels remarkably lucky to have avoided any serious harm.
‘They told us everything was safe, and we believed them. We had no reason not to,’ said Jane.
‘And I can’t get the girls and their families off my mind. It’s heartbreaking. But it’s also frightening knowing the same thing could’ve happened to us.
‘Who knows what would’ve happened if I was left to sleep in my room for another few hours, or if when I fell on the ground I couldn’t get up and nobody came to check on me.
‘It’s just so sad those girls weren’t afforded the same luck.’
The Royal Kahal has not returned several requests for comment.
The hotel is currently closed as the investigation continues.
