Shock in Costa del Sol town at death of the Rabahs - a 'humble and hard-working' family
The 53-year-old father of the family of four who died as the result of a gas leak on Tuesday worked on the land and in construction, the mother taught Spanish to Arabs and their two sons attended secondary school
The eastern Costa del Sol town of Torrox, with a population of more than 22,000 inhabitants, was shocked on Tuesday, 25 November, at the death of a family of four of Moroccan origin by carbon monoxide inhalation due to a butane gas leak, the cause of which is still under investigation. Friends and family gathered at the entrance of the house located in the Pontil neighbourhood, in the heart of the historic centre.
Said Rabah, the father, was 53 years old. He arrived in Torrox from Morocco in 2005 and started working in various fields: agriculture, construction and street vending. His wife, Sadiia, 38, worked as a translator and taught Spanish, which she was perfectly fluent in having arrived in Spain in 2008, to Arabic-speaking children.
They had two sons - Mohamed, 19, and Mustafa, 17. The two boys were studying in high school. Mohamed balanced his studies in mechanics and electronics at the IES Juan de la Cierva in Vélez-Málaga with his job as a hairdresser. He had even opened his own establishment a few months before the incident. His younger brother, Mustafa, studied basic vocational training at the IES Jorge Guillén and played in the youth team of Club Deportivo Torrox.
"They were very hard-working, an example of integration," Saifi el Hassan, a friend of the family, said. "They were very well known and loved by everyone," another friend, Rosa, added. In fact, everybody who went to the house in the afternoon and evening on Tuesday - more than a hundred people - told SUR that the Rabahs were a "humble, very kind and hard-working family".
The day, from the moment the news of the incident spread, was marked by great commotion and consternation. Shouts, cries, wailing and prayers in both Spanish and Arabic could be heard.
The family had been living in the small flat for just three years. They had previously lived in the coastal town of El Morche in Torrox.
The Guardia Civil are currently investigating the cause of the gas leak and inspecting the property, alongside the forensic experts, who removed the four bodies.
