A fire that engulfed hundreds of shipping containers at Turkey's Iskenderun Port after massive earthquakes in the region have been extinguished, the country's defence ministry said on Tuesday.
Turkey's maritime authority said on Monday that the port, located on the Mediterranean coast in the southern province of Hatay, was damaged due to the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.
The blaze led to the shutdown of all operations at the terminal until further notice and forced freight liners to divert vessels to other ports.
The defence ministry said later on Tuesday the fire was put out thanks to efforts by military helicopters and planes after Monday's efforts to douse the flames from offshore failed.
A source from a container broker said the fire most likely originated in a container filled with flammable industrial oil, judging by the flames and smoke.
Other containers were toppled on their sides, thwarting access for the emergency services. Authorities had tried in vain to tackle the fire by boat on Monday, with damage nearby from the quake hampering access to the site.
