Police are investigating after three American women were found dead in a room at a Belize beach resort.
Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Maliah, 24, and Wafae El-Arar, 26 — who are all from Revere, Massachusetts — were found dead on Saturday night in their room at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro, Belize, according to police. They had been scheduled to return home on Sunday.
On Friday, housekeepers tried to gain access to the room, but could not get anyone to come to the door when they knocked. The resort staff reviewed surveillance footage that showed the women had entered the room on Friday, but had not left it since.
On Saturday, after continued attempts to get the women's attention, the staff entered the room and found them unresponsive inside.
A cause of death had not been made public as of the time of this report.
First responders at the scene reportedly said the women were found with froth around their mouths, according to the New York Post.
Local Police Commissioner Chester Williams noted in a press statement that alcohol and gummies were found in the hotel room, according to Channel 5 Belize.
“The police did a thorough search of the scene, along with the pathologists and scenes of crime. There was nothing of substance that could have been found other than alcohol and some gummies,” Williams said. “We’re not saying at this time that the gummies caused death, but we’re looking at every possibility."
Police are trying to determine whether the gummies were bought locally or were brought into Belize with the tourists.
“We’re trying to do as best as we can, including to see where they may have gone on Thursday before they went home, what if anything they consumed. All these things we’re looking at,” Williams said.
He noted that a pathologist’s early findings suggest the women could have been dead for 20 hours before their discovery.
Investigators found no sign of forced entry into the hotel room and did not find any injuries on the women. Other than the alcohol and gummies, police only found snacks, vapes, drinks, and the womens' electronic devices.
Since their deaths, supporters and loved ones have set up GoFundMe pages to help their families. The GoFundMe fundraiser has already raised more than $25,000. The money will cover transporting the womens' bodies back to the US and their funerals.
Wafae’s family described her as "a bright, kind, and loving soul who touched the hearts of everyone she met." Kaoutar's family said that her loss would "deeply impact all who knew her," and Imane's father called her his "beloved" and lamented her death.
“No parent should ever have to endure such pain, and the loss is overwhelming,”
Revere, Massachusetts issued a statement on social media remembering the women.
"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," the city said.
