A six-year-old British-Palestinian girl, Saja El-Khawas, has died in hospital days after her parents and teenage sister lost their lives in a sea tragedy off the coast of Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, in southern England.
Saja died on Friday, August 21, after being rescued from the water on Tuesday and taken to hospital in critical condition. Her death brings the number of fatalities from the incident to four.
Her father, Hassan El-Khawas, 55, her mother, Zeina Alayn, 37, and her 14-year-old sister, Sara El-Khawas, were pronounced dead after emergency services recovered them from the sea.
The family had travelled from their home in London to Shoreham and entered the water near Shoreham Fort at about 2pm on Tuesday, August 18, before getting into difficulty. Emergency services were alerted at around 2:40pm.
A major rescue operation involving Sussex Police, HM Coastguard, the RNLI, ambulances and air ambulances was launched, with all four family members eventually brought ashore.
Sussex Police said an initial review of CCTV footage and witness accounts suggests the incident was a tragic accident, with no third-party involvement. However, the investigation remains open and a file will be prepared for the coroner ahead of an inquest.
The Palestinian Embassy confirmed that Hassan El-Khawas was a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon. The Palestinian Forum in Britain also described the family as British citizens of Palestinian origin with roots in the camp.
The deaths have left relatives, friends and members of the Shoreham community mourning the loss of the entire family.
Sussex Police have appealed for the family’s privacy to be respected as their loved ones come to terms with the devastating loss.Alternative headline options:
Family Trip Ends in Tragedy as Six-Year-Old Girl Dies in Hospital
Six-Year-OldSix-Year-Old Girl Dies Days After Shoreham Sea Tragedy Girl Dies Days After Shoreham Sea Tragedy
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