Turkey Earthquake! Container Fire At Iskenderun Port

Turkey Earthquake! Container Fire At Iskenderun Port

It is reported that on February 6, two major earthquakes of magnitude 7.8 occurred in southeastern Turkey, which have caused nearly 5,000 people killed and nearly 20,000 injured in both Turkey and Syria, and at least 10 provinces in Turkey were affected by strong earthquakes and over 6,000 buildings collapsed.

Iskenderun port operations are disrupted

According to the Turkish Maritime Administration and local media reports, the strong earthquake affected a number of ports in the country, located in Turkey's southern Mediterranean coastal city of Iskenderun, a major port Iskenderun port (LimakPort Iskenderun) was severely damaged, forcing authorities to suspend port activities.

Photos from the scene show cracks in the quay of the Iskenderun port after the earthquake in Turkey, with dozens of containers falling one after the other. Many containers were severely damaged after falling from high places and cargo was found scattered on the yard.

containers collapse and catch fire in the yard

Another photo from the scene shows a pile of containers dumped and then caught fire, emitting a thick black smoke. The port is known to have tankers, container ships and bulk carriers, and the cause of the fire is unclear.

Turkey's transport minister tweeted, "In a damage assessment of our coastal facilities after the earthquake, it was determined that the terminal at the Iskenderun port collapsed." "Operations are continuing at other ports in Turkey, except for the Iskenderun port."

Shipping companies issued an emergency notice

On Feb. 6, Maersk issued a notice about the earthquake in Syria and Turkey. The company said the strong earthquake caused severe damage to logistics and transportation infrastructure near Pazarcik in Kahramanmaras province, the epicenter of the quake, including the Iskenderun port.

Unfortunately, the port structure was severely damaged and all operations have been completely halted until further notice. The roads have also been severely affected and the supplier is currently not running any trucks in and around the area.

Maersk said that given the situation in Iskenderun, it needs to make a destination change for all bookings going to the port or already shipping at sea. The current plan is to move containers to nearby hubs where feasible, or to berth at transshipment ports, including the ports of Mersin and Port Said.

In February, all cancellations, amendments and changes of destination for bookings in the Iskenderun port and Mersin will be free of charge. Maersk said it is not yet clear when the Iskenderun port will resume normal operations and will inform as soon as it knows more.

It is reported that the earthquake occurred at 4:28 a.m. local time (9:28 a.m. Beijing time) on Feb. 6, with the epicenter located in the southern Turkish province of Kahramanmaras near the northern border of Syria, and then at 13:24 a.m. the same day, another 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in the vicinity.

According to Turkish media reports, the quake was the most severe and powerful earthquake to hit the country since 1999. At least 10 provinces in Turkey were affected by the strong quake and suffered significant casualties and property damage. And the country is in the midst of winter and the cold weather has affected search and rescue efforts, among other things.

The extent of the devastation of the earthquake in Turkey makes the country look like a war zone. Prayers for those buried alive, strong Turkey and Syria!

Currently, several countries have pledged to send rescue teams and assistance to Turkey and Syria. The Chinese government has also started the emergency humanitarian aid mechanism at the first time and decided to provide emergency aid to Turkey and Syria. The first batch will provide 40 million RMB in emergency aid to Turkey, including dispatching heavy urban rescue teams, medical teams, and providing relief supplies urgently needed by the Turkish side. Coordinate the provision of urgently needed relief supplies to Syria and accelerate the implementation of ongoing food aid projects.