A total of 11 individuals have been apprehended following the tragic demise of an entire family during their vacation in Turkey. The family, consisting of four members, tragically passed away after falling severely ill inside their hotel room in Istanbul. Initially suspected to be a case of food poisoning, the incident claimed the lives of Mum Cigdem Bocek, 27, Dad Servet, 38, and their young children Masal, three, and Kadir Muhammet, six.
On the day of the incident, the family had been exploring local street food options in Istanbul. However, subsequent investigations suggest a possible link to a pesticide utilized in the hotel to combat bedbugs. This revelation has led to the arrest of multiple individuals, including hotel staff at the Harbour Suites Old City Hotel.
The focus of the inquiry is on the alleged use of aluminium phosphide, a potent pesticide commonly employed for bedbug treatment, in a room on the hotel’s ground floor. Authorities are looking into the likelihood that the toxic substance infiltrated the family’s room through the bathroom ventilation system, resulting in their poisoning.
Aluminium phosphide is a highly toxic chemical utilized in agriculture and households as a pesticide, capable of causing fatalities if inhaled in significant quantities. Additionally, it was found that at least one employee of the pest control company lacked the necessary certification.
Following the incident, the hotel has been evacuated and sealed off while law enforcement continues to gather samples for analysis. Investigators have collected various items from the premises, including bedsheets, pillows, water bottles, and blankets. Furthermore, belongings from the rooms of two other guests at the hotel, an Italian and a Moroccan tourist, were also confiscated after they displayed symptoms of poisoning.
Video footage captured the Bocek family’s arrival at the hotel in Istanbul on November 9, with their subsequent hospitalization two days later due to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Tragically, Cigdem and the two children passed away shortly after, while Servet succumbed to the effects of the poisoning after a six-day battle in intensive care.
The ongoing investigation has seen the detainment of seven individuals, including street food vendors, as forensic samples from the food establishments visited by the family are being analyzed. The children’s grandfather, Mustafa Celik, expressed his intention to seek justice against those responsible for the tragedy.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged thorough investigations to ascertain the root causes of the family’s untimely deaths. The toxicology tests on samples from the victims and the hotel are currently in progress as the investigation unfolds.