Overview

• Kaoutar Naqqad, Imane Mallah, and Wafae El-Arar, all from Massachusetts, died of carbon monoxide poisoning at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in Belize on February 22, 2025.
• Toxicology reports confirmed carboxyhemoglobin levels above 60%, indicating fatal exposure to the odorless, colorless gas.
• Authorities suspect the carbon monoxide leak originated from an instant hot water heater in the victims' hotel room.
• Belizean authorities conducted a second test of the hotel room after initial assessments failed to detect carbon monoxide, with final results still pending.
• The victims' families, while satisfied with the thoroughness of the investigation's conclusion, are awaiting results from a secondary review in Massachusetts and advocating for improved safety standards in tourist accommodations.