Covering 95% of Tanzania's international trade, Dar es Salaam Port suspends services due to the situation
The main port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania has been closed due to the post election turmoil in this African country.
After the general election on October 29th, Tanzania was under lockdown, communication was interrupted, violent chaos and unconfirmed reports of multiple deaths occurred.
Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) said that as of 18:00 local time on October 29, the government had placed the country under an indefinite curfew and cut off the Internet nationwide.
The Dar es Salaam port was closed at midnight without any operation. ISS stated that communication with the port management department confirmed that the port is no longer able to operate normally.
Dar es Salaam is the largest port in the country, and last year Adani International Port Holdings (AIPH) signed a 30-year franchise agreement to operate Container Terminal 2 (CT2).
CT2 has four berths with an annual cargo handling capacity of 1 million TEUs. By 2023, it is estimated to handle 820000 TEUs, accounting for 83% of Tanzania's total container volume.
ISS stated that it has not received any updates from the ports of Mtwara and Tanga in the country. When Seatrade Maritime News was viewed, the website of Tanzania Ports Authority had already been closed.
The shipping agent stated that its employees are unable to access email or report to the office, but telephone lines can still be used for voice calls.