Mariners in the Gulf of Mexico region reported to us yesterday of a continual alert being received over distress frequencies off Cuba, one that we have been able to track back to the Hansa Berlin, a 19 year-old Liberian-flagged containership owned by Leonhardt & Blumberg.
Image (c) CaptTurboboss/MarineTraffic.com
The US Coast Guard confirmed that the Liberian-flagged vessel has run aground and that Cuban authorities are currently in charge of the situation.
*UPDATE*
Shipmanagers Leonhardt & Blumberg confirmed for us this morning that the Hansa Berlin did in fact run aground on Sunday, approximately 20 miles west of Havana after suffering an engine failure. All 19 crew were evacuated via helicopter and are now safely ashore in Cuba.
Weather conditions are currently hampering efforts to ascertain the exact status of the ship and cargo.
Hansa Berlin is a 1993 built container vessel with a capacity of 1.016 TEU. She is flying the Liberian flag. Hansa Berlin was on her way from Santiago de Cuba to Havana.
Please contact us directly at [email protected] if you have details or photos of this incident.
Container freight rates continued their upward march this week as carriers pushed ahead with higher pricing on major East-West trade lanes amid signs that the traditional peak shipping season is...
The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted four of the world’s largest shipping container manufacturers and seven senior executives in what prosecutors describe as a sweeping global conspiracy to restrict...
Federal investigators are probing whether Chinese container manufacturing giants deliberately throttled global shipping container production just before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a CBS News report that could reignite concerns...
May 19, 2026
Total Views: 713
Get The Industry’s Go-To News
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
— just like 105,765 professionals
Secure Your Spot
on the gCaptain Crew
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
— trusted by our 105,765 members
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.