Families of 3 American Women Found Dead at Belize Resort Demand Answers After Alarming Carbon Monoxide Reports

The families of three young women from Massachusetts found dead at a Belize resort are calling for answers after reports surfaced about high carbon monoxide levels inside the hotel where they were staying.

Kaoutar Naqqad, 23; Imane Mallah, 24; and Wafae El-Arar, 26 were discovered unresponsive at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro on February 22. Their deaths were initially ruled as caused by “acute pulmonary edema,” or fluid in the lungs, but authorities have not released an official cause.

Now, concerns are escalating after Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams revealed in a recent news conference that a second round of testing is being conducted at the resort, following reports from previous guests who detected carbon monoxide on the property using their own monitors.

“While they were there, they had done some tests with their own carbon monoxide tester and they had detected carbon monoxide,” Williams said during a March 19 press conference, per 7 News Belize.

He added that police are awaiting toxicology results from the women’s deaths, expected within one to two weeks. The hotel, meanwhile, was temporarily closed, although it’s unclear if it has since reopened.

The women’s families are calling the update “deeply alarming,” and continue to press for transparency. In a joint statement, they said:

“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.”

They added that all guests — past and future — deserve a clear explanation about what happened.

Friends and relatives have expressed doubt that drugs or alcohol played a significant role. Belizean authorities initially stated that “alcohol and some gummies” were found in the women’s room, but the families say that theory doesn’t align with who the women were.

“We continue to believe the deaths of Wafae, Imane and Kaoutar are suspicious,” the families said. “We respectfully urge Belizean authorities and resort management to share all findings immediately. No other family should have to experience this kind of pain.”

The U.S. State Department is monitoring the situation, and the women’s bodies have been returned to Massachusetts.