Families of 3 U.S. women file $100M lawsuit against Belize resort over carbon monoxide deaths

Belize: Families of three women from Revere, Massachusetts, filed a federal lawsuit against the Royal Kahal Beach Resort, following their wrongful death on February 3, 2026, seeking $100 million in damages.

The victims identified as 26-year-old Wafae El Arar, 24-year-old Imane Mallah, and 23-year-old Kaoutar Naqqad, lost their lives in San Pedro last year due to carbon monoxide, a lethal gas believed to be caused by the malfunctioning of a gas-powered water heater.

According to reports, the families of three victims did a press conference on Tuesday where they announced that they have filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 3, 2026, against the Royal Kahal Beach Resort situated in Belize.

During the press conference, families alleged that “the Royal Kahal Beach Resort lacked functional carbon monoxide detectors and failed to act on previous guest warnings about gas exposure.”

The families also disclosed that they are seeking $100 million in damages while stating that “we are pushing for justice and accountability for the unnatural death of our beloved Wafae El Arar, Imane Mallah, and Kaoutar Naqqad.”

Along with this, relatives also confirmed that “this suit not only targets the resort but also the associated companies including developers, contactors, and online travel platform Expedia, alleging profit was prioritized over safety.”

According to authorities, the incident took place in February 2025, when these three friends went for a vacation in Belize, where they stayed in a Royal Kahal Beach Resort. The investigation revealed that the hotel staff discovered the victims unresponsive on February 22, 2025 when they failed to respond to the door for housekeeping for consecutive two days on February 20 and 21. 

Following the discovery, the staff contacted the medical and police officers where on arrival they pronounced them dead and processed the scene. The initial medical reports of the females stated that “they died due to the overdose of drug gummies which officers found in their room during the investigation.

However, the U.S. toxicology reports contradicts the earlier reports of Belize authorities while confirming that “carbon monoxide poisoning was the sole cause of their death.”