In the early hours of last Sunday morning at around 3.40am, a fire broke out on the motor yacht "Sisu", which was moored at the D-jetty of Yalıkavak Marina in Bodrum. According to the Muğla Provincial Governor's Office, the fire was preceded by an explosion of unknown cause. The flames quickly spread to neighbouring yachts due to strong wind conditions and the narrow berths.
A total of seven motor yachts between 16 and 30 metres in length were completely destroyed and sank. A further 26 metre yacht suffered partial damage. The total damage is estimated at around 100 million US dollars. This was reported by several Turkish and other international media.
Videos show how the flames spread.
Yalıkavak Marina is considered one of the most prestigious facilities in the Mediterranean and has 620 berths for yachts up to 140 metres in length. It has Five Gold Anchor Platinum certification from the Yacht Harbour Association and welcomes more than 100 superyachts every year.
Emergency services fight from land and water
Fire brigade teams, police and emergency medical units were deployed immediately after the fire broke out. Extinguishing the fire proved difficult due to the wind conditions, as the flames repeatedly threatened to spread to other ships. Support came from the sea: a state lifeboat and fireboats from the Bodrum regional harbour authority were deployed.
After several hours, the emergency services were able to bring the fire under control. Cooling measures were then started to prevent the fire from flaring up again.
Affected yachts and presumed owners
The ownership of the destroyed yachts is not clear, as many luxury vessels in the Yalıkavak Marina are registered to offshore companies. Local media report that the explorer yacht "Iceberg", which appears to have been affected by the accident, was previously owned by a Russian businessman before it changed hands. The yacht "Dad's Toy", which was also affected, is believed to be linked to a British or American billionaire. It had extensive leisure and water sports facilities. Another ship affected by the fire, the "Lulu d'Angel", is said to belong to a wealthy family from the Middle East and another to an Azerbaijani businessman. However, there is no official confirmation of ownership.
Investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing
The authorities have launched a technical investigation to determine the cause of the fire. The focus is on possible mechanical defects, human error or other factors. The marina management is working with the responsible public institutions to clarify the incident. No injuries have been reported so far.
The incident raises questions about fire safety in marinas, especially during the night hours when fires can spread quickly before emergency services arrive. Yalıkavak Marina is located near Bodrum on the Aegean coast and has already been recognised as a top superyacht marina. The high number of occupied berths and the wind conditions made fighting the fire considerably more difficult.
Pascal Schürmann
Editor YACHT
