Relatives of three Massachusetts women who passed away in a Belize hotel file a lawsuit against the resort and Expedia

Families File Lawsuit After Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Deaths

The families of three young women from Massachusetts, who tragically died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a hotel in Belize last year, have initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against both the resort and the travel company, Expedia.

Wafae El Aral, 26, Kautal Nakad, 23, and Imane Mara, 24, were discovered dead at the Royal Cahal Beach Resort in San Pedro on February 22, 2025. Authorities confirmed carbon monoxide exposure as the cause of death.

Belize Police Chief Chester Williams pointed to a malfunctioning gas water heater as a possible cause for the incidents. The families expressed their ongoing struggle with grief, stating, “We are still trying to cope with the unimaginable. Our daughters and sisters went on vacation and never came back. The disbelief hasn’t gone away, and the pain hasn’t gone away.”

In a federal lawsuit filed in Boston on Tuesday, the families argue that the Royal Cahal Beach Resort ignored warnings from previous guests concerning carbon monoxide exposure. They also note that the suite occupied by the women lacked a working carbon monoxide detector.

Thomas Scolaro, the lawyer representing the families, emphasized, “This was not an inevitable accident. This is the foreseeable result of a decision that put safety last and profit first, and our legal system exists to hold those responsible accountable.”

The women had booked their trip to Belize using Expedia, which, according to the complaint, had targeted them with advertisements encouraging the booking. Other hotel guests had reported experiencing high carbon monoxide levels and related symptoms, with some sharing their experiences in reviews on the Expedia site.

Further allegations in the complaint suggest that the water heaters at the resort were not only defectively designed but also poorly installed, as the hotel was constructed under tight budget constraints with the help of an unqualified handyman.

The families conveyed their disappointment, commenting, “We believed that the places and businesses that invite families to stay are as concerned about safety as they are about profit. We now know that trust was wrong. We are here because accountability matters, because we can prevent future tragedies, and because our daughters’ lives mattered.”