The families of Wafae El-Arar (26), Kaoutar Naqqad (23) and Imane Mallah (24) have filed a federal wrongful-death suit in Boston after the women were found dead from carbon monoxide on Feb. 22, 2025, at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro, Belize. The complaint alleges the hotel ignored prior guest warnings, lacked a working carbon monoxide detector, and used defective or improperly installed Navien water heaters. The suit also names Expedia, claiming the site promoted the listing and hosted guest reviews reporting CO problems. The plaintiffs seek $100 million in damages.
Families File $100M Federal Lawsuit After 3 Massachusetts Women Die From Carbon Monoxide At Belize Resort
Families of 3 Massachusetts women who died at Belize resort file $100m lawsuit against hotel, Expedia: report
The families of three young Massachusetts women who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a Belize resort have filed a federal wrongful-death lawsuit in Boston, naming the Royal Kahal Beach Resort and travel site Expedia as defendants.
Wafae El-Arar, 26; Kaoutar Naqqad, 23; and Imane Mallah, 24, were found dead on Feb. 22, 2025, in a suite at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro, Belize. Authorities say all three suffered fatal exposure to carbon monoxide, and investigators have suggested that a malfunctioning gas-powered water heater may have been responsible.
Authorities previously identified the women as Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Mallah, 24, and Wafae El-Arar, 26, after they were found dead on Feb. 22 at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro. The families of the women are suing the resort and Expedia, the travel website used to book their vacation.(iStock)
Details Of The Lawsuit
Filed Tuesday in federal court in Boston, the complaint accuses Royal Kahal of failing to investigate or address warnings from prior guests who reported carbon monoxide exposure and related symptoms. The families say the suite where the women stayed lacked a functioning carbon monoxide detector.
Allegations Against The Resort And Suppliers
The lawsuit further alleges that the hotel's Navien-brand water heaters were defectively designed and improperly installed, and that construction and repairs were completed "on a shoe-string budget by unqualified handymen." The complaint contends these failures created a foreseeable danger that was not remedied.
Aerial photo of San Pedro, Belize, which borders the Caribbean Sea.
Claims Involving Expedia
The families also name Expedia, saying the women used the travel site to plan their trip and were targeted with retargeting advertisements and solicitations encouraging them to book the Royal Kahal listing. The suit notes that other guests posted reviews on Expedia reporting high carbon monoxide readings and symptoms consistent with CO exposure.
'We are still trying to process the unimaginable. Our daughters and sisters left for vacation and never came home. The disbelief has not faded, and neither has the pain,' the families said in a joint statement.
'This was not an unavoidable accident,' said Thomas Scolaro, the families' attorney. 'It was the foreseeable result of decisions that put safety last and a bottom line first, and our legal system exists to hold those responsible to account.'
The plaintiffs are seeking $100 million in damages. Fox News Digital reports it has reached out to Royal Kahal, Expedia and attorney Thomas Scolaro for comment.
Investigation
Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams has said investigators suggested a malfunctioning gas-powered water heater could be the cause. Local and international authorities continue to review the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
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