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Inquest opens into deaths of family who drowned off Shoreham coast

An inquest has opened into the deaths of four family members who died after getting into difficulty in the sea off Shoreham.

  • Hussam El-Khawas, 55, Zeina Alayan, 37, and their daughters Sara, 13, and Saja, 6, died after an incident in the sea off Shoreham.
  • Saja El-Khawas died three days after being brought to shore, at Evelina Children's Hospital in London.
  • A police investigation is ongoing, but officers are satisfied there was no third-party involvement.

An inquest has opened into the deaths of Hussam El-Khawas, 55, Zeina Alayan, 37, and their two daughters, Sara El-Khawas, 13, and Saja El-Khawas, 6, who died after getting into difficulty in the sea off Shoreham.

Hussam, Zeina, and Sara were pronounced dead on 18 August after being brought to shore by lifeboat crews. Saja died three days later at the Evelina Children's Hospital in London.

Senior coroner Penelope Scholfield opened and adjourned the inquest to March 2027. The inquest heard that Saja, who was six, was resuscitated but showed signs of a brain injury during treatment. No provisional cause of death was given for the other family members.

The family, who lived in north west London, are believed to have travelled to Shoreham and entered the water from the beach near Shoreham Fort at about 14:00 BST before getting into difficulty. Both parents were Lebanese nationals with British passports, and their children were born in Kensington.

A Sussex Police investigation is ongoing, but police are satisfied there was no third-party involvement. The inquest will resume after the police investigation concludes.

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