Three women from Revere found dead in a Belize hotel room last month died of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to multiple media outlets.
The women, Wafae El Arar, 26; Imane Mallah, 24, and Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, were found dead in their suite at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro on Feb. 23, according to Channel 5 Belize. The women’s bodies did not have any sign of injury, though vomit was found next to each of them, according to a police transcript posted by the station.
Their bodies were discovered by hotel staff members a day before the women were scheduled to return to the United States, according to the transcript.
The women’s families said officials in the Central American country notified them they died of carbon monoxide poisoning, likely the result of a faulty water heater, The Boston Globe reported.
Gian Cho, the executive director of the Belize National Forensic Science Service, confirmed carbon monoxide poisoning contributed to their deaths, the paper reported. An email sent to the service by MassLive Thursday morning was not immediately returned.
Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe called the women’s deaths an “unimaginable loss,” adding their families “deserved the truth.”
“These young women were valued members of our community, and while the gravity of this tragedy weighs heavily on us all, I am grateful for the diligence of our state and federal partners in ensuring that a proper investigation was conducted and brought the truth to light,” Keefe said.
Initial reports suggested the women may have died from a pulmonary edema — a buildup of fluid in the lungs. Carbon monoxide poisoning can lead to a pulmonary edema, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A secondary review of the women’s bodies will be conducted in Massachusetts, WCVB reported.
