Iskenderun Port in Turkey, which was severely damaged by two earthquakes and subsequent fire, plans to fully reopen port operations in about three months.
The recent earthquake that hit Türkiye’s severely damaged the Iskenderun Port, a major container terminal located on the Mediterranean coast. Management at the terminal has stated that it will take approximately three months to fully recover and restore operations to normal.
The terminal was then hit by a severe blaze that lasted for three days and destroyed around 3,670 containers. The earthquake caused many container stacks to topple over, leading to the fire which spread rapidly.
In addition, more than 1,200 buildings have been destroyed in the southern province of Hatay, where the port is located. This earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.8, is one of the deadliest ever to hit the region, resulting in more than 44,000 confirmed deaths in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria.
The earthquake also caused significant damage to the railway system, with railway tracks in southern Turkey severely damaged. Part of the road was also damaged, and cars were flipped. Railway service in the country’s south and southeast has been halted.
Due to the severe damage, carriers have decided to make alternate calls to other ports in the region until late spring. Iskenderun Port, which handles around 40,000 TEU per month, suffered structural damage and will require extensive repairs.
The cleanup operations are now underway, but it will take some time before the port can fully recover from the damages. The earthquake not only damaged the port but also caused many roads in the area to require fixing, making the recovery process even more challenging.
Carriers will continue to make alternate calls to other ports until the terminal can resume normal operations.
