21.03.2026 15:52
In Antalya, a fire in a container claimed the lives of 7-month pregnant Leyle Elali and her 5 children. Their bodies will be taken to Syria for burial after the necessary procedures.
The bodies of 27-year-old Leyle Elali, who was 7 months pregnant and lost her life in a container fire in Antalya, along with her 5 children, will be taken to their home country of Syria for burial after the necessary procedures.
A fire broke out for an undetermined reason in the container where the Syrian family was staying in the Gaziler neighborhood of Kepez around 1:30 AM yesterday. Upon notification, fire, gendarmerie, and medical teams were dispatched to the area. The teams, who intervened to extinguish the flames, found the lifeless bodies of 7-month-pregnant Leyle Elali and her children Muna Ahmed (9), Fatma Ahmed (8), Hayat Ahmed (7), Iman Ahmed (5), and Mahmud Ahmed (4) during their inspection of the container. Syrian national Shevvah Ahmed (29), Mahmud Ahmed (53), Ahmed Ahmed (2), and Turkish citizen business owner Rahman Genç (51) were taken to the hospital for treatment after being affected by smoke. A person who was injured while helping with the extinguishing efforts was also taken to the hospital. The bodies of the mother and her children were taken to the Antalya Forensic Medicine Institution. Governor Hulusi Şahin, who conducted an investigation at the scene of the fire, announced that 3 people were detained.
'THEY HAD A BARBECUE AND DID NOT EXTINGUISH IT' In a statement to reporters, the headman of Gaziler neighborhood, Süleyman Kaplan, said, "It was a container where our Syrian citizens were staying. Unfortunately, 5 children and their mother passed away. The mother was pregnant. The children's father was also injured and is in intensive care. They were agricultural workers. They had a barbecue the night before and did not extinguish the fire. This is what we heard."
INVESTIGATION INTO ARSON POSSIBILITY An investigation was conducted with a fire detection dog belonging to the gendarmerie to determine whether arson had occurred in the container where the fire took place and its surroundings.
BODIES WILL BE BURIED IN SYRIA A blood sample was taken from Leyle Elali's father, who arrived in Antalya yesterday, for a DNA test to identify the bodies. The bodies of Leyle Elali and her 5 children will be handed over to their relatives on Monday after the necessary procedures. The bodies will be transported by air to Gaziantep and then taken by road to be buried in the city of Manbij in Syria.