Latest news with #7NewsBelize
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Authorities Announce Update in Case of Tourists Found Dead in Belize
Authorities in Belize have announced an update in the case of three American tourists found dead under suspicious circumstances in their hotel room at a popular resort. Massachusetts residents Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Mallah, 24, and Wafae El-Arar, 26, checked into San Pedro Town's Royal Kahal Beach Resort on Feb. 19 and were found deceased by staff members on Feb. 22 in the Bird of Paradise suite. While authorities were initially investigating the deaths as drug overdoses, it seems that the case has taken a turn. During a March 19 press conference (via 7 News Belize) Police Commissioner Chester Williams announced that the hotel 'agreed [to] a second round of testing' for the presence of carbon monoxide. Previous guests had remarked upon the carbon monoxide levels at the resort, Williams reported, and the problem was apparently so pervasive that the three victims even conducted testing of their own."While they were there, they had done some tests with their own carbon monoxide tester and they had detected carbon monoxide," Williams said. Authorities are unaware of the test results, but the hotel has been temporarily closed pending the outcome of the investigation. It's not clear when it will be reopened. Williams said that the toxicology reports for all three women should provide more definitive answers when it arrives "within the next week or two." "We are deeply alarmed by news reports which suggest that carbon monoxide levels in the hotel could have been at dangerously high levels and that the resort has now suddenly closed without public explanation," the women's families said in a joint statement to NBC News. "We believe the families of all guests — past and future — deserve a clear explanation for this action.' This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning a Possible Cause of Death for 3 Women Found in Belize Hotel: Reports
Police are investigating whether carbon monoxide poisoning could have played a role in the deaths of three American women after their bodies were found at a hotel in Belize last month. On Feb. 24, authorities in the country identified the victims, who were staying at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort, located in San Pedro Town, as Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Mallah, 24, and Wafae El-Arar, 26, according to the Associated Press. The trio had checked into the resort's Bird of Paradise Suite on Feb. 19, local media outlet 7 News Belize reported at the time, before their bodies were discovered by staff on Feb. 22. While the cause of their deaths has yet to be confirmed, police had been investigating the deaths as possible drug overdoses, AP reported. Police Commissioner Chester Williams has now said in a recent news conference, "It was agreed a second round of testing be done at the hotel," per a clip shared by 7 News Belize on March 19. Related: Friends Demand Answers as 3 American Women Are Found Dead in Belize Hotel with Police Suggesting Possible Drug Overdoses He noted that previous guests had commented on the carbon monoxide levels at the hotel, adding that the people in question had done their own testing. "While they were there, they had done some tests with their own carbon monoxide tester and they had detected carbon monoxide," Williams shared. He said that police didn't yet know the results of the tests authorities had completed, claiming that the hotel had been temporarily closed amid the investigation. It's not clear whether the hotel has now reopened. Williams told reporters that police were hopefully going to be receiving the results of the toxicology reports regarding the women's deaths "within the next week or two." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that kills without warning. It claims the lives of hundreds of people every year and makes thousands more ill." "Many household items including gas- and oil-burning furnaces, portable generators, and charcoal grills produce this poison gas," the site added. The women's families commented on the update in a statement shared by NBC News. "We are deeply alarmed by news reports which suggest that carbon monoxide levels in the hotel could have been at dangerously high levels and that the resort has now suddenly closed without public explanation," they said. "We believe the families of all guests — past and future — deserve a clear explanation for this action," they added, according to the outlet. NBC News stated that the women's bodies had been transferred to their home state of Massachusetts. Friends and family have been demanding answers since Williams said in a news conference that "alcohol and some gummies" had been found at the scene, per Channel 5 Belize. 'We're not saying at this time that the gummies caused death, but we're looking at every possibility,' the officer previously said. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In a joint statement shared with PEOPLE earlier this month, the women's families urged authorities in Belize and the U.S. to conduct a "thorough and transparent investigation" into the circumstances surrounding their death that remain "unclear and suspicious." "We ask for continued prayers, patience, and privacy as we navigate this profound sorrow," the statement added. The Belize Police Department, the Royal Kahal Beach Resort and the Massachusetts' Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Belize authorities eye carbon monoxide in deaths of 3 American tourists
Authorities in Belize are taking a closer look at the possibility that carbon monoxide poisoning may have played a role in the deaths of three Americans last month. As the families of the dead released a statement Monday seeking answers one month since their bodies were discovered in their hotel room, the country's top police official said the resort has temporarily ceased operation. "It was agreed a second round of testing be done at the hotel," Police Commissioner Chester Williams said last week at an impromptu news conference captured on video by television station 7 News Belize. He said previous guests came forward to report they suspected carbon monoxide levels were notable during their own visits to Royal Kahal Beach Resort. "While they were here, they had done some carbon monoxide testing and they had detected some carbon monoxide," Williams said. Carbon monoxide is produced in the combustion process of gas-engine vehicles, gas- and oil-burning furnaces, generators and charcoal grills. Unscented, it stealthily kills hundreds every year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The three women, identified as Wafae El Arar, 26; Imane Mallah, 24; and Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, were found dead in their hotel room Feb. 22 after two days of unsuccessful door knocks prompted hotel staff members to go inside, Williams has said. The women's families said in Monday's statement, provided by their spokesperson: "We are deeply alarmed by news reports which suggest that carbon monoxide levels in the hotel could have been at dangerously high levels and that the resort has now suddenly closed without public explanation. We believe the families of all guests — past and future — deserve a clear explanation for this action." Williams initially said that alcohol and "gummies" were found in the room and that each body was discovered next to vomit. He didn't specify the type of gummies; the confection is popular as a concentrated cannabis product in states where it's legal. Researchers have noted very few overdose deaths from marijuana. On Monday, the families said in their statement that they believe the deaths are "suspicious" and want authorities on the case to find the "full truth." It wasn't clear whether the hotel, the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro, has reopened. Belize Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler told Channel 5 Belize that the hotel shut down voluntarily and was implementing "remedial actions." The resort could reopen with permission from government authorities, he said. The general manager of the Royal Kahal, police and other Belize officials didn't respond to requests for comment Monday night. Bert Nowak, the resort's general manager, said in an interview last month that the women were in their second day of a weeklong stay and expressed condolences to their families. After Williams, the police commissioner, initially said the Belize National Forensic Science Service would determine the cause and manner of death in the case, the bodies were transferred to the women's home state, Massachusetts. A spokesperson for the Massachusetts chief medical examiner's office said by email Monday that cause and manner of death were pending and could take more than two more months to determine. This article was originally published on
