Tornado kills 4 construction workers in southern Turkey

A tornado tore apart two containers housing construction workers in southern Turkey, killing four people and injuring another, according to local officials. A crane at the same construction site also collapsed.

The tornado struck Monday in the Fevzi Çakmak neighborhood of Kepez, a district of Antalya, a city on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, Anadolu Agency reported. The Turkish national weather service had earlier issued a yellow-level warning for heavy rain in the area.

Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin said five workers were thrown from the two containers when they were torn apart by the tornado. Two died at the scene and two others died after being taken to hospitals. The surviving worker suffered minor injuries and was reported to be in good condition.

Local news source Antalya Bilgileri reported that one of the containers was thrown 300 meters (about 980 feet) into the air before landing on a school roof.

Officials described the destruction as highly localized, saying nearby buildings were unaffected and no storms or tornadoes had been reported elsewhere in the city.

“We are facing a tornado that tore two containers to pieces in just this area,” he told reporters.

Tornadoes are not uncommon along Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, particularly during fall and winter. The stretch of southern coastline around Antalya is one of the country’s most tornado-prone areas.