New details in the Bağcılar tragedy: Son of the family who died from carbon monoxide poisoning speaks out

In the Demirkapı neighborhood of Bağcılar, on 1723 Street, relatives who could not reach the Malay family during the night notified the police and fire department. Upon arriving at the scene and entering the apartment through the balcony, the teams noticed a strong smell of gas. Abdülaziz Malay (70), his wife Fatma Jabara (43), their child Zehra Malay (7), and Gülbahar Malay (37) were found lying motionless on the floor.

Initial examinations by medical teams confirmed that Abdülaziz Malay, Fatma Jabara, and Zehra Malay had passed away, while Gülbahar Malay, who is reported to have a disability, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. While the incident is believed to have been caused by gas leaking from a lamp, police have launched an investigation. The family's son and a neighbor recounted the moments that unfolded.

Neighbor Hasan Sipahi said, "Their children came and knocked on the door, but no one answered. Then the fire department and police arrived and tried to open the door with a locksmith. When the locksmith couldn't open it, they entered from the back street using a fire ladder. When they went inside, there was a smell of gas. Three of them were lying there unconscious. It happened inside the apartment. It could have been from a gas cylinder or natural gas. The electricity was out. It is common here for the power to go out frequently. I checked, and while the street lights were on, our apartments had no power. BEDAŞ (the utility company) came at night and said it had nothing to do with them. He was my neighbor in the same building for 30 years. He was a harmless man who helped the neighborhood. He served as a muezzin."

The son, Nimetullah Malay, said, "We didn't hear from them for about 20 hours. When he didn't go to the mosque, the congregation notified us. When I called the fire department and police between 11:00 and 12:00 last night, we entered the house together. When we went inside, my father, mother, and the little seven-year-old girl had passed away. My other sister was dazed. She is currently in intensive care. We haven't received any information regarding the report yet. The fire department said it could have been caused by natural gas or a small gas cylinder. Since there was no electricity for a long time, they were using the cylinder like a candle. It is a lighting lamp. There was no food on the stove. The natural gas was not turned on. The lighting lamp was still burning when the fire department entered. Since there was no electricity for a long time, they were forced to use the gas lamp for lighting."