Tornado kills 4 after ripping through Turkish tourist hotspot

A tornado hit the Mediterranean coastal province of Antalya, Turkey on Tuesday - killing four people.The tornado, which came shortly after the country’s weather agency warned of heavy rains, hit a construction site where it destroyed a container housing workers and knocked down a crane.Two workers were killed at the scene while two died after being taken to hospital for treatment. A fifth worker, who was staying inside another container at the site, was injured during the storm. An ‘exceptionally localised’ phenomenonThree of the workers who were killed were Syrian nationals, according to Antalya’s Governor Hulusi Sahin. There was no damage in other parts of Antalya — which will host the UN climate summit, COP31, next month - alongside Australia. The region is famed for its all-inclusive beach hotels and ancient Roman ruins - which are popular with British tourists.Tornadoes have hit Turkey before, but they tend not to be deadly (AFP/Getty)Sahin described the tornado, which struck the Kepez district, as an “exceptionally localised” phenomenon. The same weather system brought torrential rain to Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city.Are tornadoes common in Turkey?Antalya and other locations along the Mediterranean coast periodically experience tornadoes, although deadly incidents are rare. In February 2021, a small tornado struck Turkey’s Aegean coast, leaving a path of destruction and injuring 16 people. The tornado touched down on 12 February in the resort town of Cesme, some 56 miles west of the city of Izmir. It uprooted trees, blew off roof tiles, swept up cars and knocked down a crane. At least four boats capsized.The worst hit area was a construction site for summer villas where the crane was toppled and a container housing the construction workers overturned. 16 workers were hurt, including one who was hospitalised with a broken leg, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Istanbul was hit by severe floods earlier this month (AP)Earlier this month, Istanbul was hit by severe floods that left eight people dead. The catastrophic flooding was described as the worst in 80 years - with almost 10,000 reports of damage and other issues related to the event.Many parts of Turkey also experience earthquakes and tremors. These can often be high magnitude, causing damage to infrastructure and posing a risk to life.The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) warns British tourists to follow advice from local authorities if such an event occurs.