Additional Coverage:
- Families of 3 Massachusetts women who died at Belize resort file $100m lawsuit against hotel, Expedia: report (foxnews.com)
Families File $100 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Tragic Belize Hotel Stay
BOSTON, MA – The grief-stricken families of three Massachusetts women who died from carbon monoxide poisoning during a Belize vacation last year have filed a wrongful death lawsuit, seeking $100 million in damages. The lawsuit names the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro and the travel booking giant Expedia as defendants.
Wafae El-Arar, 26, Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, and Imane Mallah, 24, were all found deceased on February 22, 2025, at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort. Authorities at the time confirmed fatal carbon monoxide exposure as the cause of death. Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams had previously suggested a malfunctioning gas-powered water heater as a potential culprit.
“We are still trying to process the unimaginable,” the families stated in a poignant declaration. “Our daughters and sisters left for vacation and never came home. The disbelief has not faded, and neither has the pain.”
Filed in federal court in Boston on Tuesday, the lawsuit alleges gross negligence on the part of the Royal Kahal. Specifically, the families claim the resort failed to address prior warnings from guests who reported carbon monoxide exposure. Furthermore, the suite where the three women stayed allegedly lacked a functional carbon monoxide detector.
“This was not an unavoidable accident,” said Thomas Scolaro, attorney for the families. “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 lawsuit also implicates Expedia, stating that the women used the travel site to plan their trip and were subsequently targeted with “retargeting ads and solicitations” encouraging them to book at the Royal Kahal. Crucially, the complaint asserts that other guests had previously detailed experiences consistent with carbon monoxide exposure, even posting reviews on Expedia.
Further allegations in the lawsuit point to defectively designed and improperly installed Navien water heaters, claiming the hotel’s construction was completed on a “shoe-string budget by unqualified handymen.”
“We trusted that the places and companies inviting families to stay with them cared about safety as much as they cared about profit,” the families expressed. “We now know that trust was misplaced. We are here because accountability matters, because it can prevent future tragedies, and because our daughters’ lives mattered.”
Fox News Digital has reportedly reached out to the Royal Kahal Beach Resort, Expedia, and attorney Thomas Scolaro for comment.