Fire at Bodrum marina sinks 7 motor yachts

BODRUM

A fire that broke out on a motor yacht moored at a marina in Bodrum spread to seven other vessels and left seven motor yachts sunk, while one sustained damage, officials said on March 21.

The blaze erupted for reasons not yet known at the marina in the Yalıkavak neighborhood and quickly intensified as strong winds fanned the flames.

Firefighters, police and medical teams were dispatched to the scene after the fire spread to nearby motor yachts measuring between around 20 and 30 meters in length. Response crews faced difficulty at times because of the wind, which complicated efforts to contain the blaze in the tightly packed marina area.

The operation was supported from the sea by the KIYEM-6 fast rescue boat of the Directorate General of Coastal Safety and by firefighting boats from the Bodrum Regional Port Authority. Authorities said the fire was eventually brought under control after an intensive operation carried out from both land and sea.

Bodrum Mayor Tamer Mandalinci, Coast Guard station commander Raşit Gödelek and Bodrum Regional Port Director Tuncay Aydın also went to the marina to follow the response on site. Mandalinci described the incident as an unwanted event and said the cause of the fire would be determined through an investigation.

He said cooling efforts were continuing after the flames were contained, with coastal safety units working from the sea and firefighting teams from land. The incident once again highlighted the challenge of controlling marina fires under windy conditions, where flames can jump rapidly between vessels before emergency teams fully secure the area.