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A fire erupted aboard the decommissioned supertanker Sloug while it was being dismantled at the Simsekler shipbreaking yard in the Aliağa Port of İzmir, Turkey, on July 3, 2025. The blaze ignited around 11:00 AM, prompting a swift response from local fire brigades and six fireboats.
Thick black smoke poured from the vessel, leading to the evacuation of the ship and nearby areas. Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries. Firefighting teams, both on land and at sea, worked diligently through the evening to bring the flames under control. Cooling efforts on the ship are still ongoing, as authorities remain cautious due to potential explosion risks.
Firefighters opted against aerial suppression due to concerns that it could trigger blasts caused by trapped gases or leftover chemicals within the ship. The 349-meter-long tanker was built in Italy in 1973. It operated as a commercial vessel for 16 years before being transformed into a floating storage unit off the coast of Libya in 1989. The vessel continued to function under the name FSO Sloug until it was decommissioned in 2017. Since then, it has posed risks due to its structural weaknesses.
In the Aliağa district of İzmir, the Sloug was undergoing scrapping when the fire broke out. A Turkish maritime company had recovered the Sloug in December 2021 after it drifted off the coast of Libya, towing it for a reported fee of 11 million. However, during efforts to assess its value, the company discovered that the vessel had been moved to Egypt, allegedly using false documents to offload its chemical cargo. The Sloug's arrival in Egypt sparked environmental protests, as activists raised concerns about toxic materials onboard, leading authorities to prevent the ship from remaining in Egyptian waters. Consequently, it was rerouted to Turkey.
On February 16, 2023, the Turkish ship dismantling firm Şimşekler acquired the vessel. A week later, on February 23, 2023, the Aliağa Regional Port Authority granted docking permission for the ship at the Aliağa Ship Recycling Zone. Since then, it has remained grounded there. The Sloug has been surrounded by controversy since its arrival in Turkey, with environmental groups claiming that the vessel was used to store hazardous chemical waste while in Libya and alleging that as much as 6,000 tons of waste might still be onboard. The recycling company denied these claims, stating the ship was no longer used as an oil storage unit.
Documents from the ship's previous owner indicated that the tanks had not been vented, raising concerns about the potential buildup of harmful vapors. They also estimated that around 50 tons of residual oil could still be present on the ship. Turkey's Ministry of Environment responded to parliamentary questions by confirming that it had inspected the vessel, stating there was no significant amount of hazardous material beyond the essential components of the ship itself.
Photos from the dismantling yard show that the ship's forward section had already been removed, and large portions of the vessel are visibly opened. However, the stern remains largely intact. The threat of leftover substances and explosive vapors made firefighting challenging, as safety crews were instructed to maintain a safe distance from the structure.
Meanwhile, a union has called for an investigation into the incident, noting that dismantling work had been approved earlier this year, supposedly after the vessel was cleaned out. The union has demanded that all operations be halted until it is confirmed that the worksite is safe for workers and the surrounding environment. Additionally, the towing company has initiated legal action to recover its unpaid fees. The İzmir 5th Commercial Court is currently reviewing the case and has requested information from the Aliağa Port Authority. Alongside this, the company filed a criminal complaint with the Aliağa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and reported the issue to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change.
