Investigation pivots from food contamination to toxic exposure after forensic report links four tourist deaths to pest control substances at their accommodation.
ISTANBUL – A suspected chemical poisoning at an Istanbul hotel has emerged as the likely cause of death for four members of a German-Turkish family, according to a new forensic report that has dramatically shifted the direction of the official investigation.
The family—a father, mother, and their two children—had been on vacation in Istanbul when they fell severely ill. Initial suspicion had fallen on street food they consumed in the Ortakoy district, but the official investigation now points toward a toxic substance within their hotel environment as the primary culprit.
Turkish media, citing the forensic report, indicate that a pest control treatment conducted at the hotel may be responsible. Reports suggest a chemical spray used to eliminate bed bugs in a ground-floor room may have traveled through ventilation systems into the family’s first-floor room.
The sequence of the tragedy saw the two children die last Thursday, followed by their mother on Friday. The father, who had been fighting for his life in intensive care, passed away on Monday.
In response, authorities have sealed off the hotel located in the Fatih district and detained eleven people for questioning as part of the ongoing probe. The establishment was evacuated over the weekend after additional guests exhibited similar symptoms.
While the forensic report strongly suggests chemical poisoning, officials note that a final determination will be made after comprehensive toxicological analysis of samples from the victims and the chemicals used in the hotel. A German embassy spokesperson confirmed the two children held German citizenship.
