The Maersk Cincinnati, a 15,516 TEU container ship, struck a quay crane while berthing at berth 12 at Yantian terminal in the port of Shenzhen at around midday local time on 9 November 2026. Following the impact, the crane collapsed towards the container yard. The following day, the Yantian District Emergency Management Bureau confirmed that an investigation into the incident was under way, although no official information had been released about injuries or damage. Images and videos circulating on Chinese social media appear to show parts of the crane next to the hull and on some container stacks. Chinese shipping industry sources have suggested that a sudden gust of wind during the manoeuvre may have caused the incident. Shenzhen’s meteorological services had issued a monsoon warning at 06:10 on 9 November, forecasting gusts of force 8 or above, but this possible cause has not been confirmed.
Built in 2024, the Singapore-flagged vessel is 366 metres long and 51 metres wide. It was on voyage 645W of the NE3 service between Asia and Northern Europe, operated by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd under the Gemini Cooperation. As of 11 November, there had been no updates on its actual departure or when the berth would return to service. After Yantian, the vessel was scheduled to call at Ningbo and Shanghai, followed by Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia, before continuing to Northern Europe. Another crane collapsed at Yantian on 16 September 2024, at berth 2, onto the 1,730 TEU container ship MSC Riona. The terminal operator attributed that incident to a major mechanical failure, and no injuries were reported.
