Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Belize Resort After US Trio's Carbon Monoxide Deaths

Families allege 'catastrophic failure' of safety systems led to the 2025 tragedy.

Feb. 4, 2026 at 7:55pm

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The families of three Boston-area friends who died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a Belize resort in 2025 have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Royal Kahal Beach Resort and others. The lawsuit alleges the resort failed to properly install and maintain the hot water heaters, ignored prior guest complaints about carbon monoxide exposure, and did not have working detectors in the women's suite, leading to the 'excruciating' deaths of Wafae El-Arar, Kaoutar Naqqad, and Imane Mallah.

Why it matters

This tragic case highlights the importance of resort safety standards and the need for proper installation and maintenance of critical equipment like hot water heaters. It also raises questions about how resorts respond to guest safety concerns and whether more regulation is needed to protect travelers.

The details

The lawsuit claims the women were poisoned when they turned on the shower and a hot water heater 'began venting high concentrations of carbon monoxide directly into the suite.' It alleges the resort initially hired a qualified contractor to install the water heaters but later replaced him with an untrained handyman who did not know how to properly install a gas converter kit on each unit. Despite earlier guest reports of symptoms consistent with carbon monoxide exposure, the resort allegedly failed to take 'appropriate remedial measures' and falsely claimed it had installed detectors in all rooms, when in fact there was no working detector in the women's suite.

  • The women are believed to have died on the evening of Feb. 20, 2025.
  • Their bodies were found two days later, on Feb. 22, 2025.

The players

Wafae El-Arar

One of the three Boston-area friends who died from carbon monoxide poisoning at the Belize resort.

Kaoutar Naqqad

One of the three Boston-area friends who died from carbon monoxide poisoning at the Belize resort.

Imane Mallah

One of the three Boston-area friends who died from carbon monoxide poisoning at the Belize resort.

Royal Kahal Beach Resort

The resort in Belize where the three women died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Louis J. Muggeo

The attorney representing the families of the three women in the wrongful death lawsuit.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The lawsuit is seeking a jury trial to determine damages against the resort, its developers, and the makers and installers of the hot water heaters.

The takeaway

This tragic case highlights the need for resorts to prioritize guest safety and properly maintain critical equipment like hot water heaters. It also raises questions about how resorts respond to safety concerns and whether more regulation is needed to protect travelers from preventable accidents.