The four members of a Turkish-German family who succumbed to phosphine poisoning in mid-November, according to the autopsy report submitted today to the prosecutor, Turkish media reports.
“No trace of poison was found in the blood, stomach or food consumed by the family, while a strong presence of phosphine was detected,” news website T24 and private television network Halk TV reported, citing the Forensic Institute report.
“Strong evidence was found to show that the Bocek family died as a result of phosphine gas,” they add.
The report appears to confirm that pesticide spraying inside the hotel where the parents and two children were staying may be the cause of the deaths. As the report states: “Evidence was found that this chemical product was used by the hotel.”
Insecticide killed the family
Phosphine, also known as phosphorus hydride or aluminum phosphide, is a highly toxic insecticide to humans and mammals. In a gaseous state it enters the body by inhalation, it is distributed mainly in the liver, nervous system and heart, explains the INRS, the French Institute of Health and Safety at Work, on its website.
The INRS warns that “inhalation exposure to high doses of phosphine causes severe neurological, respiratory and cardiac damage that may even lead to the death of the patient”.
All four members of the Bocek family died within days – the children, ages 3 and 6, then the mother, then the father after falling ill on November 12.
Food poisoning was initially reported as the cause of death, after a visit by the family to the tourist district of Ortakoy, where the parents and children ate popular foods.
The prosecutor of Istanbul had opened an investigation on the suspicion of food poisoning.
However, this version was quickly ruled out. Turkish media spoke of “chemical poisoning inside the hotel where the family was staying” which, according to the media, was to combat an invasion of bed bugs.
The product reportedly contaminated the family room above through the toilet vent.
The hotel was closed and eleven people were arrested.
