The fire that engulfed hundreds of toppled containers at the Iskenderun port in Türkiye, following the massive earthquake that rocked the Hatay province, has been extinguished, according to the country’s defence ministry.
Türkiye’s Maritime General Directorate confirmed the statement on Wednesday, saying that the fire at Iskenderun Limak Terminal has been brought under control after efforts from sea, air, and land
“All cargo operations were suspended at Iskenderun Limak Terminal and vessels are being diverted to the nearest terminal in the same region. The other terminal in Iskenderun Bay remains operational,” GAC said in an update.
The infrastructure at the port has been severely damaged, according to local reports, and the port remains closed until further notice.
Türkiye’s Maritime General Directorate and its defence ministry shared videos on social media showing the joint efforts to contain the fire.
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İskenderun Limanı konteyner alanındaki soğutma çalışmaları, Ulaştırma ve Altyapı Bakanlığı Kıyı Emniyeti Genel Müdürlüğümüze ait NENE HATUN Acil Müdahale Gemimiz tarafından aralıksız devam ediyor. pic.twitter.com/Gr1OD9a9S3
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Deniz suyunu kullanarak yangına müdahale eden römorkörlerimiz, Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığımızın havadan müdahelesi ve diğer kurumlarımızın destekleriyle İskenderun Limanı’ndaki yangını kontrol altına aldık! pic.twitter.com/iV8lgPuawh
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İskenderun Limanında meydana gelen yangına, Kara Kuvvetlerimize ait helikopterler ve Hava Kuvvetlerimize ait uçak ile havadan müdahale edildi. #MSB #Deprem pic.twitter.com/369Z5DzvS9
As a result, industry majors such as Maersk are creating contingency plans for cargo intended for the port. Maersk said in a customer advisory:
“This means we will unfortunately not be able to deliver cargo currently on the water bound for the Port of Iskenderun as its intended final destination. We will instead be holding containers in designated nearby ports and hubs for three weeks from today (Wednesday 8 February) at no extra cost while we plan next steps and final deliveries. Alternatively, we can deliver cargo to any Turkish port within operational feasibility and capacity constraints.”
Ocean Network Express (ONE) said that terminal operations at Mersin resumed on February 7 and continue without reported issues.
As informed, the terminal is expecting to face yard congestion in the coming days due to local infrastructure damages delaying container pickups and are working with local authorities to find a temporary solution.
Meanwhile, the NYK Group informed that it was joining the global relief efforts to the displaced people in the form of a donation of 10 million yen to the Turkish Red Crescent to help the victims and towns recover.
K Line is also joining with a donation of 3 million yen through Japanese Red Cross Society in consideration of damages caused by the earthquake.
The devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck south-eastern Türkiye and northern Syria has taken the toll of an estimated 16,000 lives in the two countries. Search and rescue efforts remain underway for potential survivors as calls for international relief for all the affected people intensify.