Tragedy in İzmir: Baby dies from poisoning in apartment building after pest control

On November 14 at 11:30 AM, some residents reported to the 112 emergency line that they were affected by a pest control application that had taken place on November 12 in an apartment building on 1413 Street in the Kahramanmar neighborhood of İzmir's Konak district.

In a statement from the İzmir Governor's Office regarding the investigation into the spraying, the following was noted:

"It has been determined that a 1-year-old baby boy, T.A.K., one of the apartment residents, lost his life due to poisoning. The treatment of G.U., an apartment resident affected by the spraying, is continuing at Alsancak State Hospital. The father, R.K., and mother, R.K., of the deceased baby have been discharged following their treatment. Three personnel from the company that sprayed the apartment building where the incident occurred have been detained."

The statement, which reported that the building where the incident occurred and the adjacent apartment building were evacuated and that temporary housing was provided to those living there, included the following: "Furthermore, ventilation work has begun in the area where the spraying was conducted by AFAD Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) teams. A judicial investigation into the matter is ongoing."

STATEMENTS FROM APARTMENT RESIDENTS

Meanwhile, ventilation work by AFAD Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear teams continues in the apartment buildings that were evacuated in the neighborhood, where security measures have been taken and vehicle traffic has been closed.

It was observed that the residents living in the apartment buildings were waiting for the work in the area to be completed.

Nesrin Yağcı, who has lived in the apartment building next to the one where the incident occurred for about 20 years, told an AA reporter that after hearing about the incident, she left her workplace, notified her relatives and neighbors, and came home.

Explaining that they were unaware of the spraying, Yağcı stated the following:

"I came from work. I smelled a strong odor. I wondered if it was natural gas. I thought, 'Is that why I'm feeling unwell?' I ventilated the house, I opened it up. I had no information. By the evening, nausea started. I can't stand up. I wish I had gone to the doctor at that moment. Because I didn't know, I feel guilty myself right now. If I had known, maybe it wouldn't have reached this point. If I had called as soon as I smelled it, they would have understood what the smell was. Everyone is a victim right now. I want the other party to receive the maximum penalties. It is truly a great pain for the mother and father of the baby who died. I hope the law will do its best for them."

Sezgin Işıkadalı, one of the apartment residents, stated that they have been living there for 25 years and said, "The family returned to their home last night. Because the door and windows were closed, they went to sleep comfortably. In the morning, the baby's lips had turned purple, and his heart had stopped. They were all poisoned. A person on the upper floor was also poisoned. They took them away by ambulance as well. Unfortunately, the baby died. Our apartment building was emptied. The apartment buildings around it where spraying was done were evacuated as a precaution. Since my aunt couldn't walk down, they brought her to the ambulance. We are waiting outside so as not to leave her alone."

News Source: AA