By Adam Swift
New details have been released by officials from Belize in the deaths of three Revere women who were found in a beach resort in San Pedro in that country while they were reportedly on vacation.
The cause of death for the victims, identified as Wafae El Arar, 26, Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, and Imane Mallah, 24, was determined to be acute pulmonary edema, or a build up of fluid in the lungs.
In an interview with WBZ News, Gian Cho, executive director of the Belize National Forensic Science Service, said that the cause of the acute pulmonary edema is under investigation. Cho said it could be up to a month before final results come in from the tissue and lung samples collected during the autopsies, adding that items collected from the room will be tested for drugs and that toxicology samples will be sent to the United States.
In a statement released last week, Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe said he was saddened to learn of the death of the three women who were members of the local community.
“The information we have received thus far from the Belizean authorities leaves our grieving community with too many questions: These are daughters, friends, and contributors to our City, and I have heard widespread concern from the families and community members about the lack of transparency in this investigation, and the media narrative painted by Belizean authorities,” Keefe stated. “The Department of State issued a Level 2 Travel Advisory for Belize in December due to an increased risk for crime, and we will exhaust all avenues, both domestic and abroad, to ensure a proper and fair analysis of this case. “
Keefe said he has been in contact with members of the state’s federal delegation, including Senator Ed Markey and Congresswoman Katherine Clark, and that the city will be working to bring answers to the women’s families and their communities.
Belizean police officials reportedly stated that there were no signs of violence in the death of the women and are working with pathologists and the U.S. Embassy to determine what happened.
