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Preliminary Report Points to Hotel Chemical Poisoning in Istanbul Family Deaths

Authorities have issued arrest warrants with final tests pending.

Overview

  • A provisional forensic and toxicological assessment cited by Turkish media indicates the Hamburg family likely died from chemical exposure in their hotel, with a food-borne cause deemed unlikely.
  • Investigators are probing whether a pesticide used to treat bedbugs in a ground-floor room hours before the illnesses could have reached the family’s room through bathroom ventilation.
  • The hotel was evacuated and sealed after other guests reported nausea and vomiting, and at least one room had been disinfected with chemicals.
  • Eleven suspects are in custody, and prosecutors sought detention for four, including street vendors and a café owner, while hotel staff and pest-control employees are also under investigation for negligent homicide.
  • Food samples from two sellers were later judged edible, though they were collected days after the family ate there, and results from other vendors’ samples are still pending.