A fire that broke out in a container in the Kepez district of Antalya, southern Türkiye, killed a pregnant Syrian mother and her five children, while five others were injured on the morning of Eid al-Fitr.
The fire started for reasons not yet determined in a container where foreign agricultural greenhouse workers were staying in the Gaziler neighborhood. Upon notification, police, fire and medical teams were dispatched to the scene.
The blaze was brought under control and extinguished by emergency teams.
During inspections inside the container, it was confirmed that the mother, Leyla Elali Ahmed, and her children, Muna Ahmed, 9, Hayat Ahmed, 7, Iman Ahmed, 5, Fatma Ahmed, 8, and Mahmud Ahmed, 4, had died.
Five people affected by smoke inhalation, including a child, an unidentified person and the business owner, were taken to a hospital for treatment.
It was also reported that the mother, Leyla Elali Ahmed, who died in the fire, was pregnant.
The bodies were transferred to the Antalya Forensic Medicine Institute morgue. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin visited the scene and later addressed the press, saying the community awoke to tragic news on the morning of the holiday.
He confirmed that the fire broke out in containers housing greenhouse workers in the Kepez district, adding: “Three containers caught fire, and we lost one mother and five children aged between 4 and 9. May God have mercy on them all.”
Şahin said five people were injured, adding: “One of the injured is being monitored in critical condition, while the others are in good condition. Three individuals have been detained. The investigation is ongoing. My condolences to our nation, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”
He added that the injured are receiving treatment in three separate hospitals.
Regarding the cause of the fire, Şahin said it remains under investigation: “There was a stove outside and apparently a barbecue had been used. It is possible that it was not fully extinguished before they went to sleep. However, we cannot yet definitively say this was the cause. A detailed examination is being carried out by our fire department teams.”
The governor also said a public prosecutor has launched a judicial investigation and that the exact cause of the fire will be determined following a thorough assessment.
