Inquest opens into deaths of four Palestinian family members after Shoreham-by-sea incident

2 Sep 2026 • 6:48 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Inquest opens into deaths of four Palestinian family members after Shoreham-by-sea incident

  • An inquest has opened in Horsham into the deaths of four Palestinian family members from Craven Park, north-west London, following a tragic drowning incident at Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex.
  • Six-year-old Saja El-Khawas died at Evelina Children's Hospital in London on 21 August due to hypoxic brain injury and drowning, three days after her parents, Hussam El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayan, 37, alongside her 14-year-old sister Sara, were declared deceased.
  • Emergency services, including the RNLI and Coastguard, were alerted after the family encountered difficulty in the sea near Shoreham Fort during a day trip from London.
  • Sussex Police confirmed that an active investigation remains open, though initial witness statements and CCTV reviews suggest the deaths were accidental with no third-party involvement.
  • Coroner Penelope Schofield offered her condolences and adjourned the inquests until 16 March next year, as a community GoFundMe campaign raised over £20,000 for funeral and repatriation costs to Lebanon.

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