According to initial reports, four workers lost their lives and one was injured in a tornado that struck a building site in the Kepez district of Antalya. Following the incident, which took place at around 11.00 pm on 6199 Street in the Çakmak neighbourhood, ambulance, fire service, police and rescue teams were dispatched to the area.
Whilst heavy rain and strong winds were affecting the city centre in the evening, the tornado that formed at the construction site destroyed two containers where the workers were staying and caused a tower crane to topple. The workers, who were extracted from the containers by the emergency services, were taken to hospital.
Investigations are underway to determine whether there are any other casualties
Governor of Antalya Hulusi Şahin, who was inspecting the scene, stated that investigations were ongoing and that authorities were checking whether there were any other injured or fatalities. Şahin noted that the identities of the deceased workers were being established and added that the crane had not fallen onto the containers.
Şahin said, “We are faced with a very unusual natural phenomenon. No reports of storms or tornadoes have been received from any other part of the city. It was simply raining. But such a weather cell emerged only here. There is no damage to the surrounding buildings. We are dealing with a tornado that has completely destroyed just two containers in this area. There is no such damage to the containers immediately adjacent to the same construction site. I pray for God’s mercy upon our deceased citizens and offer my condolences to their families. I wish our injured worker a speedy recovery. Their identities are being verified. The container and the crane toppled over in the same spot. There is no question of the crane having struck the container. The crane was toppled by the same tornado in a south-easterly direction. There were no injuries or fatalities beneath it. ‘The tornado has ravaged the construction site, leaving it in ruins,’ he said.
The Antalya Governor’s Office also reported that, according to initial findings, four workers had lost their lives and one worker had been injured. The Governor’s Office announced that the teams dispatched to the area were continuing their intervention and operations.
