On February 7, 2023, rescuers worked at the site of the earthquake in Turkey, and black smoke was still rising from Iskenderun Port. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake the day before and the subsequent 7.5-magnitude aftershock caused the pier to collapse and catch fire. (Burak Kara/Getty Images)
[The Epoch Times, February 07, 2023](Comprehensive report by Epoch Times reporter Li Yan) On Monday (February 6), an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 occurred in southern Turkey near the northern border with Syria, followed by an aftershock of magnitude 7.5. The two quakes killed more than 5,200 people and caused widespread damage. The Port of Iskenderun in Turkey collapsed and caught fire.
The seismic event, which occurred near the East Anatolia Fault where Turkey is located, severely affected logistics and transport infrastructure in the region. A fire broke out in the port of Iskenderun in Turkey, causing a complete shutdown of all operations.
“While assessing the damage to our coastal installations, it was determined that the pier at Iskenderun Port has collapsed,” said the director-general of Turkey’s transport ministry.
The Turkish Maritime Authority announced on Twitter that inspections were carried out at all ports except Iskenderun following the quake.
Port Technology, an international shipping technology news outlet, reported that roads in the area have also been severely affected and trucking is currently out of the question. Given this situation, shipping lines are planning to transfer containers to nearby hubs, or hold them up at transshipment ports, as far as operationally feasible.
Maersk will redest all bookings to Iskenderun port or already on water.
Maersk plans to move the containers to nearby viable hubs, or hold them up at transshipment ports, including the Port of Mersin and Port Said.
In response to the impact of the earthquake, Maersk said that all bookings in Iskenderun and Mersin in February can be canceled, modified and changed destinations free of charge.
It is unclear when the Iskenderun port will be able to resume normal operations.
So far, there have been hundreds of aftershocks from the earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria.
Turkey’s death toll has climbed to at least 3,549, while at least 22,168 others were injured, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday in a speech at the Earthquake Coordination Center in the capital Ankara.
The death toll in Syria exceeds 1,712. More than 25,000 people were injured in the two countries, according to figures from the Turkish government, White Helmets forces and Syrian state media.
Responsible editor: Lin Yan#