Containership Maersk Cincinnati Knocks Down Crane While Berthing at Yantian

The 15,516 TEU containership Maersk Cincinnati struck a quay crane while berthing at berth 12 of the Port of Yantian, in Shenzhen, China, at around midday local time on November 9, 2026. The impact caused sections of the crane to collapse onto the container yard, according to images and videos circulated on Chinese social media.

The Maersk Cincinnati has a length overall of 366 meters and a beam of 51 meters, was built in China in 2024, and sails under the flag of Singapore. According to Ports News Russia, the vessel belongs to the Seaspan fleet and operates under charter for the Danish carrier Maersk. At the time of the incident, it was completing voyage 645W of the NE3 Asia-North Europe service, part of the Gemini Cooperation network operated by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, with scheduled calls at Ningbo, Shanghai and Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia, before continuing on to Europe.

Shenzhen's meteorological authority had issued a monsoon warning at 6:10 a.m. local time on November 9 for the Yantian district and nearby waters, forecasting gusts of force 8 or higher. Sources in the Chinese shipping industry cited by Splash247 noted that these sudden gusts may have affected the berthing maneuver, although the cause of the collision has not yet been officially established.

Neither Maersk nor the terminal operator has so far provided an official account of the incident, and there is no confirmed information on injuries, damage to the vessel or cargo, or possible delays to terminal operations. Splash247 recalled that Yantian had already suffered a similar incident in September 2024, when a crane collapsed onto the MSC Riona at berth two, with no injuries reported. Ports News Russia added that the Maersk Cincinnati itself was involved in another incident in September 2024, when smoke was detected in a cargo hold during a voyage from Colombo to Tangier Med, an episode that led to its berthing at Richards Bay with no visible flames or injuries.

A Hapag-Lloyd report from November 4, prior to the collision, had noted average waiting times of 2.5 days for vessels over 300 meters in length at Yantian, compared with 0.5 days for smaller ships. Ports News Russia reported that Yantian International Container Terminals, jointly operated by Hutchison Ports and Shenzhen Port Group, handled more than 16.1 million TEU in 2025, up 7.1% year-on-year. The impact the crane collapse may have on operations and the vessel's call schedule has yet to be determined.