The school attended by a girl who drowned alongside her Palestinian parents in the UK has paid tribute to the “sweet” and “well-liked” student.
Sara El Khawas, 14, died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Shoreham on Tuesday afternoon, along with her father, Hassan El Khawas, 55, and her 37-year-old mother, Zeina Alayn. The couple's other daughter, Saja, was rescued and remains in a critical condition in hospital.
Mr Al Khawas was born in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon, according to the Palestinian embassy in the UK.
The embassy said it believed that all members of the family had British citizenship. They have reportedly lived in west London for more than 10 years.
Ms El Khawas attended Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in Ealing, and the school paid tribute to her in a statement on its website.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that our Year 8 student, Sara, has died following a tragic incident during the school holidays,” said the school.
“Sara was a sweet girl, well-liked by staff and students, and she will be greatly missed.
“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with her family, friends, and all those affected. We are also thinking of her sister and loved ones at this extremely difficult time.”
The family were well established in the UK and active members of the British Palestinian community, according to Nehad Khanfar, head of the Association of Palestinians Communities in the UK.
They said Mr Al Khawas's brothers and children were currently being supported by close friends and family. Their extended family in Lebanon has also been contacted about the tragedy.
APCUK will be organising a condolence event after the burial. “The community is very affected. We were all shocked. But at this time we have to support the family,” Dr Khanfar told The National.
A postmortem examination will need to take place before the bodies can be buried.
The three died after getting into difficulty in the water in Shoreham, West Sussex. Floral tributes and messages of condolence have been left on the seafront.
Sussex Police said understood the family travelled down from their home in London to visit Shoreham.
They entered the water from the beach at Shoreham Fort around 2pm on Tuesday afternoon before getting into trouble.
“The events of Tuesday afternoon are a heartbreaking tragedy which has devastated a family and their friends and had a profound impact on the Shoreham community,” Chief Superintendent James Collis said.
