Tornado kills 4 in Turkey’s Mediterranean tourism hub Antalya 

ANKARA — A tornado killed four people and injured another in Turkey’s Mediterranean resort city of Antalya overnight, authorities said Tuesday, less than two weeks before the city hosts the COP31 UN climate summit.

The tornado tore apart two mobile housing units where five workers resided at a construction site in the city’s northern Kepez district, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported. 

Two workers died at the scene, and two others succumbed to their injuries after being taken to a hospital. The surviving worker remains in good condition, according to Anadolu.

Antalya Governor Hulusi Sahin identified three of those killed as Syrian nationals and one as Turkish. Video shared from the construction site by Anadolu also showed a crane that had toppled during the tornado.

The Antalya chief public prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into the incident, questioning the construction site’s owner, manager and other personnel, said Antalya Governor Hulusi Sahin.

The tornado also damaged nine vehicles, Sahin added.

Antalya, one of Turkey’s main tourism hubs, welcomed more than 17 million visitors arriving on direct international flights in 2025, according to provincial tourism figures released in January.

The disaster comes as the city prepares to host the COP31 UN climate summit in less than two weeks. The conference on Nov. 9-20 brings countries together to discuss cutting emissions and helping communities adapt to climate impacts, including extreme weather.