A severe fire erupted at the port after containers were toppled. Credit: CHUTTERSNAP / Unsplash

The Port of Iskenderun, the biggest port in Turkey, has suspended its operations after being hit by a deadly earthquake.

The earthquake resulted in structural damage at the port, with docks collapsing.

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A severe fire from toppled containers also erupted at the port.

In an update, Danish shipping giant Maersk said: “The port has unfortunately been subject to severe structural damage, leading to a complete stop of all operations until further notice. Roads have also been heavily affected, and at this time vendors are not moving any trucks in and around the area.

 “Given the situation at Iskenderun, we will need to perform a change of destination for all bookings bound for the port or already on the water. We are currently planning to divert containers to nearby hubs within operational feasibility or hold at transhipment ports – including Port of Mersin and Port Said.” 

The Turkish Maritime Authority tweeted that inspections were carried out at ports, including Iskenderun, after the recent earthquake.

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“It was determined that docks at Iskenderun Port have collapsed during the assessment of damage to our coastal facilities,” the director-general at Turkey’s Transport Ministry stated.

Operations at other ports in Turkey remain unaffected.

According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake on 6 February measured 7.8 on the Richter scale at a depth of 17.9km. It was followed by a 7.5 magnitude aftershock.

Located near the city of Gaziantep, the earthquake has resulted in thousands of deaths.

Another earthquake of magnitude 5.7 later hit eastern Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced a three-month state of emergency in ten of the country’s provinces.