Latest news with #Channel5Belize
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Report: Three women from Revere died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Belize
Three Revere women died of carbon monoxide poisoning while vacationing in Belize, according to a report by Channel 5 Belize. On Wednesday, the Belize National Forensic Science Service announced the findings of a toxicology report that took about three weeks to complete, according to Channel 5 Belize. The three women, described as lifelong friends were found dead in their hotel room at the resort in February. The families of Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Wafae El-Arar, 26, and Imane Mallah, 26, have urged authorities in Belize and the United States to do an investigation to find the truth about what happened. In light of this recent development, a spokesperson for the three families said they are not commenting at this time. Belize authorities said there were no signs of foul play. Prior to today's finding there had been speculation the women may have suffered overdoses, with a news outlet in Belize reporting that gummies and alcohol were found in the room. The women were young professionals in the medical field and part of a tight-knit community, officials said. GoFundMe pages have been set up on behalf of each of the three families linked to the tragedy. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
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
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shyne Loses Re-Election Bid in Belize: ‘The People Have Spoken'
Shyne has lost his bid for re-election in Belize. The former Bad Boy conceded defeat in a press conference on Wednesday night (March 12). According to Channel 5 Belize, Shyne (born Moses Barrow) was unseated by fellow United Democratic Party member and businessman Lee Mark Chang in the general election. More from Billboard Jonas Brothers Announce Release Date For 'Love Me To Heaven' Single Lizzo Turns 'Pain Into Some Champagne' on Post-Heartbreak Single 'Still Bad': Stream It Now Doechii, Durand Bernarr, Maren Morris & More Set to Attend the 2025 GLAAD Media Awards Shyne was elected to the Mesopotamia seat in Belize City for the House of Representatives in 2020, and he eventually served as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives and the leader of the Belize United Democratic Party. According to Channel 5 Belize, Shyne secured only 318 votes in the constituency of Mesopotamia, while Chang earned 601. 'The people have spoken. Congratulations to Lee Mark Chang — he's now the new area representative of Mesopotamia, and I wish him well,' Shyne said, according to the local news outlet. 'I was confident; that was the interaction I was having with the people, but they made a decision to go in another direction, and I respect that.' With Shyne losing his House of Representatives seat, he's planning to resign as the leader of the Belize UDP once a new official is elected. 'I certainly will resign effective once we have a national convention to elect a new leader,' he added. 'Obviously you can't be a leader of the United Democratic Party once you're not a member of the House, and I would not want to be appointed as a senator or anything to hold on to the leadership.' Chang was very critical of Shyne leading up to the election, reportedly referring to him as a 'cancer' in the government. 'The people are realizing they have been bamboozled,' he reportedly said on national TV in Belize. It's unclear if the loss marks the end of Shyne's run in Belizean politics. Shyne rose to fame in the late '90s as a rapper under Diddy's Bad Boy Records label. He was sentenced to 10 years behind bars in 2001 on assault, gun possession and reckless endangerment charges for his role in a 1999 NYC nightclub shooting that left two people wounded. He was released in 2009 after eight years behind bars and deported to Belize. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
The Independent
12-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Three American women who died at Belize resort ‘may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning'
Authorities are investigating the possibility that three American women who were found dead in their Belize resort room last month may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to reports. Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Maliah, 24, and Wafae El-Arar, 26 — who are all from Revere, Massachusetts — were found dead in their room at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro, Belize on February 22. They were last seen on CCTV footage entering their room a day before their bodies were found by resort staff, and early pathology findings suggested they could have been dead for 20 hours before they were discovered. Families of the three women spoke out this week, saying the circumstances around their deaths remain 'unclear and suspicious'. First responders at the scene reportedly said the women were found with froth around their mouths, according to the New York Post, and local police said in a statement that alcohol and gummies were found in their hotel room, according to Channel 5 Belize. 'We're not saying at this time that the gummies caused death, but we're looking at every possibility,' Local Police Commissioner Chester Williams said at the time. The women's bodies have since been taken back to the US, where the Daily Mail reports a second autopsy is being conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Massachusetts. The Daily Mail reports a source close to one of the women's families saying preliminary investigations indicate a fatal build-up of fluid in their lungs was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, though this has not been confirmed. That source said investigators had uncovered other non-fatal incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning at the Royal Kahal resort, including at least one other American. Speaking out for the first time following the tragedy, the families of Naqqad, Mallah and El-Arar issued a joint statement to People on Tuesday urging authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the deaths. "We ask for continued prayers, patience, and privacy as we navigate this profound sorrow," they said. The families also shared memories of each of the women. They said Naqqad, a college student who was a support worker in a group home for troubled youth, wanted to be a police officer and was 'compassionate, caring, and deeply devoted to those she loved'. Mallah was remembered for being a 'beacon of kindness' with an 'infectious smile, sparkling wit, and an unwaveringly optimistic heart.' The families said: 'Imane's excitement for life was matched only by her compassion for others, making her a cherished friend and an irreplaceable part of the community.' El-Arar, a research technician at Massachusetts General Hospital, had dedicated herself to reproductive rights, and was remembered for being "full of life, dreams and unwavering faith'. After their deaths, supporters and loved ones set up GoFundMe pages to help their families cover the cost of transporting their bodies back to the US and their funerals.
USA Today
28-02-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Investigators release more details in deaths of 3 American women in Belize
Investigators release more details in deaths of 3 American women in Belize Three young Massachusetts women found dead at a beach resort in Belize had a build-up of fluids in their lungs, investigators told a Boston news station. The investigators told WBZ News that they're still trying to figure out what caused the build-up of fluids in the three women, identified as 23-year-old Kaoutar Naqqad, 24-year-old Imane Mallah and 26-year-old Wafae El-Arar, Channel5Belize and 7NewsBelize reported. Investigators are conducting tests on hotel room surfaces for drugs or chemicals and sending toxicology samples to U.S. detectives to analyze what was in the women's systems, both of which will help determine a cause of death, police told WBZ. "So by next week we should have an idea of what types of substances, if any, were found in the room," Gian Cho, executive director of the Belize National Forensic Service, said in a statement provided to Channel5Belize. The women were from the Boston suburb of Revere, where a vigil was held to remember the women on Tuesday. 'The City of Revere extends our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the three local women who tragically and unexpectedly passed away in Belize,' a Facebook post from the city said. What happened to the women? The trio were reportedly staying at Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro, and their bodies were discovered by hotel employees in their suite on Saturday morning. Police obtained security footage showing the women entering their room on Thursday, noting that they did not leave and nobody was captured going inside, according to local reports. "Based on what the pathologist said when he visited on Saturday evening is that they could have been dead 20 hours prior, so that would take us back to Friday or Thursday that they eventually died," police Commissioner Chester Williams said, according to local news outlets. A celebration turned tragic A vigil held on Tuesday night to honored the women, who were in Belize to celebrate El-Arar's 26th birthday, friends told WBZ Boston. "I was just with them last week," Destiny Borges-Kelley told WBZ. "Monday I was with Wafae shopping for the trip, and she was showing me what she was buying and getting her nails done. She would not stop talking about it." The Revere community and the women's families want more answers from Belize authorities. "We're getting stonewalled. Belize people are just saying their side of the story but I'm sure there's more to it and I know we can't wait until the kids come home," Revere City Councilor Ira Novoselsky said. As everyone searches for more answers, the community continues to reel from the loss of three bright women. "They all were growing in life they had plans, they were doing good job wise they just wouldn't do the stuff the people said they were doing," Borges-Kelley said. GoFundMe pages have been set up GoFundMe pages have been set up by each of the victim's families. 'With a heavy heart, I share the tragic loss of my beloved daughter, Imane, who passed away in a heartbreaking accident. No parent should ever have to endure such pain, and the grief is overwhelming,' Imane's father said. Naqqad and El-Arar's families both expressed their great sadness following the news. 'She was a bright, kind, and loving soul who touched the hearts of everyone she met,' El-Arar's family said. 'Her loss has deeply impacted all who knew her,' Naqqad's family said. More than $90,000 had been raised in total between all three fundraisers as of Thursday afternoon. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
