Families Mourn Loss of Three Women Found Dead in Belize 

The families of Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Mallah, 24, and Wafae El-Arar, 26, have heavy-heartedly expressed the loss of their loved ones.

In a GoFundMe account, the Naqqad family stated, “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Muslim sister, daughter, and friend, Kaoutar Naqqad.” The family added, “May Allah grant Kaoutar eternal peace, forgive her sins, and grant her the highest level of paradise.” Kaoutar was the youngest among the women.

Mallah’s father, Abdelmalek Bezzez, asked for the public to keep his daughter Imane in prayers. He shared his pain in a GoFundMe statement after losing his daughter. Bezzez said, “No parent should ever have to endure such pain, and the grief is overwhelming.”

Wafae was described as a “bright, kind, and loving soul who touched the hearts of everyone she met” by her sister, Sabrina Elarar. She added, “It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Muslim sister, Wafae.”

The GoFundMe campaigns for each of the women were set up by relatives to alleviate the costs of repatriating their bodies and funeral expenses. As of today, the online fundraisers for three Revere women have raised over $80,000 USD. The account set up for Wafae hit almost double the targeted amount.

On social media, the city of Revere, Massachusetts, confirmed that the three women were members of that community. The city expressed condolences to their families and friends. “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,” it said.

The three women were found dead in their suite at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro on Saturday morning, February 22. A postmortem examination is set for early this week to determine the cause of death. On Monday, Police Commissioner Chester Williams stated that police are looking into a possible drug overdose after finding alcohol and gummies among the belongings of the women. “We’re not saying at this time that the gummies cause death, but we’re looking at every possibility,” Williams said.