A Singapore-based ship operator and senior employee will face criminal charges in the 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore that killed six people, the Justice Department said Tuesday, for decisions that led to the disaster and covering up events later.
Power aboard the container ship Dali failed twice as it left the Port of Baltimore for Sri Lanka at 1:30 a.m. on March 24, 2024. The vessel crashed into a bridge pier, causing the span to collapse. The National Transportation Safety Board earlier found that a loose wire in a control panel probably caused the ship’s systems to twice lose power. Six highway workers on the bridge died in the accident.
Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. of Singapore, Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd. of Chennai, India, and technical superintendent aboard the Dali, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national, were charged by federal prosecutors.
An improper fuel pump system left the ship unable to regain power, according to the indictment.
“As alleged, the bridge was struck and collapsed because those who were responsible for the ship’s operation deliberately cut corners at the expense of safety,” Jimmy Paul, head of the FBI’s Baltimore office, told a media gathering.
Charges include conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstructing an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and making false statements.
The government also brought misdemeanor charges against the operators for a hazardous spill into the Patapsco River.
The Dali had two power failures in port the previous day, the FBI found. Synergy did not investigate or report them as required and provided false information to the NTSB.
Also Tuesday, the state of Maryland finalized a settlement worth $2.25 billion with the Dali’s owner and Synergy. The state’s claims against the ship’s builder, Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea, are not included in the settlement.
Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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