The number of detentions has climbed to 11 in the investigation into the suspected poisoning deaths of a mother and her two children from a Turkish-German family vacationing in Istanbul, with the hotel where they stayed sealed after two more tourists fell ill.
The family became ill on Nov. 12 after eating mussels and other street foods in Ortaköy, a popular waterfront district. The two children — aged 6 and 3 — died the following day. The mother died on Nov. 14, while the father is intubated and remains in critical condition.
The family was Turkish, but living in Germany. They had come to Istanbul on holiday.
All guests at the hotel where the family was staying were relocated to other hotels after two unrelated tourists were hospitalized with nausea and vomiting, local media reported.
While early attention centered on the foods consumed in Ortaköy, the investigation widened after police discovered that the hotel had recently been treated with pesticides.
Teams inspected the property, collecting samples from bedding, linens and bottled water, while emergency crews checked for chemical or gas exposure.
Fatih Municipality teams sealed the hotel after inspections.
Police have detained 11 suspects in connection with the case, including the hotel owner and members of the pest-control company that carried out the spraying.
Officials stated on social media that the two foreign tourists admitted to hospital with nausea and vomiting are in good condition and under observation.
A third person accompanying them in the same room was admitted for low heart rate, responded quickly to treatment and is stable.
