Further carbon monoxide testing conducted at the beach resort where three American tourists died

The Royal Kahal Beach Resort remains closed after three American guests were found dead in their room on February 22nd. The deceased, Imane Mallah (24), Kaoutar Naqqad (23), and Wafae El Arar (26), were of Moroccan descent and from Revere City, Massachusetts, USA. The cause of their deaths is still under investigation, with one focus being the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning.
On Wednesday, March 19th, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams announced that additional carbon monoxide tests would be conducted at the resort. This comes after the Department of the Environment reported finding high levels of the poisonous gas on the premises. Initially, investigators considered a possible drug overdose as the cause of death, as the women were found with froth in their mouths. However, a post-mortem examination attributed their deaths to acute pulmonary edema, a condition characterized by the accumulation of fluid in the lungs.
Authorities are working to determine the exact factors that led to their deaths, and the results of a toxicology test are still pending. This testing is being conducted in the United States, and Commissioner Williams stated that the police department anticipates receiving the results soon.
ComPol Williams explained that additional carbon monoxide tests are scheduled after receiving reports from some former hotel guests. These guests indicated that they had conducted their own carbon monoxide tests during their stay and detected the gas in their rooms. “Because of this, it was agreed to go back in to do a second round of testing, and that was done; I am not sure what the result of that test is,” ComPol said. “We have not received a report from the fire department or the Department of the Environment on the results of that test, so we are waiting for that. I guess that is the reason why the hotel owner had closed the hotel to allow the investigators from police, fire, and environment to go in and conduct the further testing.” ComPol Williams informed reporters that the police will refrain from speculating and will await the toxicology test results. He emphasized that these results would provide a clearer understanding of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three women.
Meanwhile, the Honorable Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, stated on Wednesday that his office is fully aware of the incident. He clarified that the resort’s temporary closure was voluntary and that it may reopen for business depending on the findings of the investigation. Regarding the possibility of carbon monoxide presence in the hotel rooms, Mahler mentioned that there have been discussions about this issue. “That is a possibility. We are not ruling anything out, but I can assure that the families believe that we will do the right thing in terms of putting the information forward as we get it,” he said.
Mallah, Naqqad, and El Arar checked into the resort on February 19th. According to reports from the resort’s management, the girls were last seen alive entering their hotel room shortly after 7PM the following day, and they were not seen leaving afterward. On the day their bodies were discovered, housekeeping and management stated that they had to use a master key to access the room. The ongoing investigation revealed no signs of forced entry into the suite, and foul play has since been ruled out.