A pregnant Syrian woman and her five young children have died after a fire tore through makeshift container housing for agricultural workers in Turkey’s southwestern Antalya province, authorities confirmed on Friday.
The blaze occurred in the Kepez district, just north of the coastal resort city of Antalya, in the early hours of the morning as the country began celebrations for the Bayram holiday, marking the end of Ramadan.
According to local reports, the 27-year-old mother, who was seven months pregnant, perished alongside her children aged between four and nine. Her husband sustained critical injuries and remains in intensive care.
Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin said the fire engulfed three containers used as living quarters for greenhouse workers. “Three containers caught fire, and we lost a mother and five children,” he told reporters at the scene, where charred debris and a burned-out vehicle remained.
Emergency services reported that at least five other individuals were injured in the blaze, including one person in life-threatening condition. Local media indicated that several of the injured were members of the same family, while another was the owner of the agricultural business.
The fire is believed to have started around 1:30 a.m. in the Gaziler neighbourhood. Preliminary findings suggest the possibility that a barbecue burner left alight outside the containers may have triggered the blaze, although authorities have not confirmed the exact cause. Governor Şahin noted that investigations are ongoing and that three individuals have been taken into custody as part of the inquiry.
Community leaders have renewed calls for improved emergency infrastructure in the area, citing delays in fire response times. Local representative Süleyman Kaplan said residents had repeatedly appealed for the establishment of a nearby fire station.
“As a community, we’ve asked for a fire engine because the fire station is far away and it takes too long for the fire brigade to arrive,” he said. “We urgently need a fire station.”
The tragedy has drawn attention to the living conditions of migrant agricultural workers in Turkey, particularly those housed in temporary container units that may lack adequate safety measures. It also comes at a time of national observance, deepening the sense of loss during a major religious holiday.
