A dream family holiday to Istanbul ended in unimaginable tragedy after a family of four were killed by a toxic pesticide used to treat bedbugs in their hotel.
A Fatal Investigation Unfolds
What was initially thought to be a severe case of food poisoning has now been revealed as a poisoning by lethal gas. Eleven people have been arrested following the deaths of the Bocek family from Hamburg, Germany.
The family—mother Cigdem, 27, father Servet, 38, and their young children, three-year-old Masal and six-year-old Kadir Muhammet—had been enjoying sightseeing and sampling local street food. They fell violently ill in their room at the Harbour Suites Old City Hotel on November 9.
The Deadly Source of the Poisoning
After a thorough investigation, the focus shifted from food vendors to the hotel itself. Police now believe that aluminium phosphide, a powerful and highly toxic substance used in a bedbug treatment in a ground-floor room, is to blame.
It is suspected that the poisonous gas travelled from the treated room into the family's accommodation through the bathroom ventilation shaft. Investigators also discovered that at least one employee of the pest control company lacked the required certification to handle such dangerous chemicals.
Aftermath and Ongoing Inquiry
The consequences were swift and devastating. Cigdem and the two children died just hours after being admitted to hospital. Servet fought for his life for six days in intensive care at Cemil Taskcioglu Hospital before succumbing to the poisoning on Monday, November 15.
The hotel has been evacuated and sealed off as police continue their investigation, collecting samples from bedsheets, pillows, and other items. The tragedy also impacted two other guests, an Italian and a Moroccan tourist, who were hospitalised with suspected poisoning.
The children's grandfather, Mustafa Celik, has vowed to seek justice, stating he will file complaints and wants those responsible to receive the heaviest possible sentences. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised that security forces and prosecutors will lead the necessary investigations.
The investigation continues, with toxicology tests on samples from the victims and the hotel still underway.
