What was supposed to be a dream vacation ended in tragedy. The mother and two young children have already passed away, and the father is in intensive care. A family from Hamburg was struck by a tragedy in a hotel in Istanbul.
At first, it was suspected that the food was contaminated with stuffed mussels, a popular street food in the Turkish capital. Now, most media outlets are reporting that the hotel used illegal insecticides.
This theory is supported by the fact that several other guests of the same hotel are also receiving treatment in the meantime.
German media are reporting a statement from a local doctor who states that the hotel has been disinfected against bedbugs.
Authorities evacuated the affected hotel in the Fatih district over the weekend, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency, and sealed off the building. Official figures on Friday showed no unusual increase in food poisoning cases in Istanbul.
More arrests
In the meantime, a dozen suspects have been detained: four street food vendors on Friday, three more suspects on Saturday, including one responsible at the hotel, a baker from the hotel's vicinity, and two more hotel employees on Monday.
It was unclear whether the arrests were related. Authorities initially did not comment.
A father, mother, six-year-old son and three-year-old daughter, a family of Turkish origin from Hamburg, traveled to Istanbul a week ago. On Wednesday, the family was admitted to hospital with suspected food poisoning due to nausea and vomiting, according to the Anadolu Agency, and were soon discharged.
After the condition worsened, the entire family was taken back to the hospital during the night. Both children died shortly after, and then the mother passed away on Friday. The father remains in intensive care – there is no new information on his condition.
Unfulfilled dream
The deceased woman's father told the Anadolu news agency that he was hoping for good news about his son-in-law. The family came to Turkey every year for vacation.
This summer, they decorated and renovated the attic of the family apartment in their hometown of Boldavin: "They were planning to move here. This was their dream."
Istanbul is one of the most visited metropolises in the world, with more than 19 million tourists annually.
The tourist office says the city has fully recovered from terrorist attacks and political unrest in recent years. According to German media, hygiene standards in restaurants have also been raised in recent years.
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