A Tragic Holiday Turned Tragedy
Idris Qayyum, a 19-year-old from west London, died during a trip to Antalya in June 2024. His death has sparked an inquest into the circumstances of his apparent fatal anaphylactic reaction after eating a dessert at the Marti Myra Hotel. The inquest has been delayed for another seven months, causing immense distress to his family.
The family believes that package tour operator Love Holidays was negligent in ensuring Idris's safety, particularly given his severe peanut allergy. They claim that Idris repeatedly asked waiters at the hotel whether any puddings on the menu included peanuts, both in English and using Google Translate in Turkish—only to be assured they were safe. However, shortly after consuming a dessert, he began feeling unwell and returned to his hotel room with his friend.
Emergency services were called, and Idris' friend urgently video-called his mother, Ayeshah Bathia, who shouted at emergency crews to administer the EpiPen as she watched them perform CPR on her son. Unfortunately, less than 25 minutes later, his heart had stopped, and despite efforts to save him, he was declared dead.
Ongoing Investigations and Legal Challenges
Valerie Charbit, assistant coroner for west London, addressed the delays in presenting evidence during the 90-minute pre-inquest review hearing. She set provisional new dates for mid-December while expressing concerns about the court system's capacity to handle other inquests. Love Holidays requested an extension until September, but this was rejected.
Idris, who had been diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy as a toddler, was studying to become an electrician and was on his first foreign holiday without his family at the time of his death. His mother and sister attended a remote court hearing, where they remained silent but visibly upset.
Investigations are ongoing into the ingredients of the desserts served at the hotel. There are suggestions that the hotel disputes the presence of peanuts, claiming they were only ever ordered as bar snacks. Concerns have also been raised about potential cross-contamination in the hotel’s kitchens.
Legal Proceedings and Family Concerns
Two fellow guests who were present during Idris’ incident have given witness statements, with two more facing follow-up questions. Ian Denham, counsel for Idris’ family, expressed alarm over Love Holidays’ lack of progress in their investigation. He stated that the family finds it deeply concerning that Love Holidays has not yet investigated the death of one of their customers and continues to market the hotel.
Love Holidays has been working with an intermediary, OTS International, a Swiss company providing agents on the ground in Turkey to liaise with the hotel and gather more information. Imogen Todd, representing Love Holidays, mentioned that the investigation is ongoing, with no specific date for its conclusion yet known. She requested a September deadline for further information, though the assistant coroner urged for some evidence within a week and follow-ups a month from now.
Ms. Todd revealed that new information from the hotel only came in two weeks ago. Ms. Charbit emphasized the difficulties faced by coroner’s courts in listing cases and stressed that the process must proceed in December.
Personal Impact and Family Reflections
Ayeshah Bhatia previously told the Daily Mail in December 2024: “Our lives have been shattered forever. To lose our son aged 19 is the worst tragedy any family could face. But to lose him in circumstances where we were not able to be there to help him is very hard to bear. And to lose him knowing that he had made every effort to protect himself from a harm to which he knew he was vulnerable is even worse.”
Idris had taken his EpiPen, but it remains unclear why it did not prevent his death. Ms. Bhatia added that there was a 20 to 25-minute window between when he ate the dessert and when his heart stopped. She described Idris as always vigilant with his allergy, reading packaging carefully and knowing when to use his asthma pump.
Response from Love Holidays
A Love Holidays spokesperson said at the time: “We are deeply saddened to hear of Mr Qayyum’s passing and would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time. The safety of our customers is our top priority, and we are conducting a thorough investigation with the hotel involved as a matter of urgency. As Mr Qayyum’s family have now instructed lawyers, we are unable to provide any further comment.”
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