The fire in the port of #İskenderun is still not extinguished, Turkish media reported.
Major shipping companies began diverting containers going to this port to other locations. pic.twitter.com/S7gOAHOMLW
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) February 7, 2023
The container fire that broke out at the Port of Iskenderun, Turkey continues to burn into its second day, according to local media.
After the massive 7.8 earthquake that hit Turkey, stacks of containers at the port feel, causing severe structural damage.
What is more, a fire started in the center of the container storage area, spreading overnight, despite firefighting efforts. To tackle the fire, Turkey’s coast guard deployed a vessel to apply water from the quayside, while the Turkish air force and army sent aircraft to drop fire retardant on the blaze.
First reports from the report informed that the fire was extinguished. However, latest information notes that the fire started again, and has spread to a large segment of the terminal’s container storage stacks.
Firefighting efforts are now continuing, with the large container carriers deciding to divert vessels to other ports, like Mersin.
It’s not yet known how long recovery efforts will take and when the port can undergo a full inspection of the damage
Maersk said in a statement.
Operations have also stopped at the oil terminal at Ceyhan, which receives crude by pipeline from Iraq and Azerbaijan and loads it onto VLCCs for export. The pipelines have been shut down as a precautionary measure while inspections continue.
