A six-year-old girl has died in a hospital days after her parents and sister drowned in the sea off the coast of Shoreham, Sussex, local police confirmed. The family encountered difficulty in the water on Tuesday while visiting the beach from their home in London.
Sussex Police announced on Friday that Saja el-Khawas, 6, had died. She was transported to a hospital in critical condition on Tuesday following the incident. Her father, Hassan El-Khawas, 55; her mother, Zeina Alayn, 37; and her 14-year-old sister, Sara El-Khawas, were pronounced dead at the scene.
In a statement, police said an investigation into the circumstances remains open. Officials currently believe the deaths were the result of a “tragic accident, with no third-party involvement.”
The family had traveled to the coast during a period of high temperatures in the United Kingdom. According to a report from the Daily Telegraph which cited the Palestinian embassy, the family was originally from the Rashidieh refugee camp in southern Lebanon.
Following the incident, public officials and community organizations responded to the deaths. Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, described what happened as a “terrible family tragedy.”
On Thursday, the Palestinian Forum in Britain held a gathering to commemorate the family.
