The food poisoning case that claimed the lives of three tourists in Istanbul continues to evoke sympathy and sorrow, following the circulation of distressing photos of the victimized family, while authorities have revealed new developments in the investigations.

The Turkish police announced the temporary closure of a hotel and the arrest of three of its employees in connection with the incident, bringing the total number of detainees to seven. Meanwhile, two other hotel guests were hospitalized after experiencing symptoms similar to the nausea and vomiting that affected the family, while the father remains on a ventilator.

Security cordon around the hotel Immediately, security teams imposed a cordon around the hotel and conducted thorough inspections to ensure no contaminated or hazardous materials were present inside the building, amid suspicions that the source of the poisoning might be linked to the accommodation itself.

According to Turkish media reports, the deceased family members—Servet Bojic, his wife Çiğdem, and their two children—had consumed several meals from well-known restaurants and popular street foods among locals and tourists, including dishes such as “Tantuni,” “Midye,” and “Kokoreç.” A team from the Istanbul Forensic Institute collected samples of these foods to test for contamination.

As part of the investigation, authorities detained a mobile mussel seller, the owner of the restaurant serving “Tantuni,” and a Turkish sweets vendor, in addition to a fourth person accused of “causing death by negligence,” while investigators also took statements from chefs, suppliers, and hotel staff where the family stayed prior to the tragic incident.