Strukture Architects Limited and Anna Maria Espat have been dismissed without prejudice from a wrongful death lawsuit involving Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro. The case was filed by the families of three women who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while staying at the resort in February 2025.
The families of 23-year-old Kaoutar Naqqad, 24-year-old Imane Mallah, and 26-year-old Wafae El-Arar filed the lawsuit in a United States court in February this year. It seeks US$100 million in damages and names multiple defendants, including the resort, travel booking platform Expedia, and the resort’s owners, developers, and contractors.
An October 2nd update on the proceedings cited a filing in the US District Court in Massachusetts confirming the dismissal of Anna Maria Espat and Strukture Architects Limited. A dismissal without prejudice allows claims to be brought again and does not, by itself, establish whether the allegations were proven or disproven.
Strukture Architects is associated with Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing, Honourable Julius Espat, who described the dismissal as a major relief.
Espat said the case had been challenging because of jurisdictional issues. He explained that, with help from an American attorney, they addressed allegations that his company had been involved in the resort’s development and project management. “We were not hired for that. Thus, we were never onsite,” Espat said. He added that developers may need to consider securing liability insurance for projects like this.
The three women were vacationing in San Pedro when they were found dead in their room at the resort on February 22, 2025. Initial statements from police and local officials raised questions about alcohol and gummies found in the room, prompting speculation about possible overdoses or contaminated substances before autopsies and formal testing were completed. Investigations confirmed that the women died from acute carbon monoxide poisoning. Reports linked the poisoning to a faulty water heater and indicated that the room lacked a carbon monoxide detector.
The families maintain that the lawsuit is primarily about honouring their daughters’ lives and preventing another family from experiencing a similar tragedy. Dismissing the two defendants does not end the proceedings against the remaining parties.