A new twist emerges in the case of the death of two children and their mother from Germany who were vacationing in Istanbul. Specifically, the tourists lost their lives at a hotel in the Fatih district of Istanbul, with authorities now examining – after investigating the scenario of food poisoning from products sold by a street vendor – according to Hurriyet, the possibility of poisoning from a substance used in disinfection procedures. Particularly, within the framework of the investigation, it was determined that a few hours before the poisoning of the German family who were in Turkey for vacation, disinfection had been carried out in a ground floor room of the hotel to combat bed bugs. As authorities report, the insecticide contained aluminum phosphine, a particularly toxic substance that may have passed into the room where the family was staying through the toilet ventilation system, causing the death of the three people.
It’s worth noting that this particular substance is frequently used in disinfection procedures for bed bugs and cockroaches and, as experts emphasize, has no antidote. It is an extremely powerful poison that, in case of excessive inhalation, can lead to death. Additionally, the investigation revealed that the worker from the company that performed the disinfection had no certification for using such chemical substances.
According to Turkish authorities, of the 11 people detained in connection with the case, four – employees of nearby businesses – were taken to the prosecutor’s office, while the remaining seven continue to be interrogated by the Homicide Department. Among those arrested are the hotel owner, staff members, the owner of the disinfection company, his son and another employee, as well as the owner of a bakery from which the family had purchased food.
Family father remains in critical condition in hospital
Meanwhile, the father of the family remains hospitalized in critical condition. He has been intubated and his treatment has been modified, as doctors are now seriously examining the possibility of phosphine poisoning.
At the same time, investigations by the Institute of Forensic Medicine continue, with specialists searching for traces of the toxic substance in the blood of the mother and two children, in a process characterized as multifaceted and detailed.
The case has caused concern in Turkey, as two years ago in Ankara a similar incident occurred, when disinfection with the same substance in an apartment building led to the death of two people and serious injury of 13 others. During that period, the two women who died had initially been diagnosed with food poisoning and were discharged, but their condition deteriorated and they eventually died in the hospital.
