Ship operator, employees charged in incident that led to Baltimore bridge collapse

BALTIMORE — Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday criminal charges related to the 2024 crash Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridgealleging that the Singapore-based ship operator and a key employee made critical decisions that caused the ship to crash into the side of the ship, killing six people.

Acting Attorney General Todd Branch called it a “preventable and devastating tragedy.”

The indictment names Singapore-based Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. and Chennai, India-based Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd. Also charged was Indian national Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, the technical director of the container ship Dali.

On March 24, 2024, while sailing from the Port of Baltimore, the Dali lost power twice within four minutes, causing it to hit the foundation bridge. Investigators said loose wires in the electrical panel may have caused the first outage.

According to the indictment, if the Dali had used a proper fuel supply pump, the ship would have regained power in time and safely sailed under the bridge. As a result, the plane crashed, killing six construction workers who were filling the hole.

“As alleged, the bridge was struck and collapsed because those responsible for operating the vessel deliberately took shortcuts at the expense of safety,” said Jimmy Paul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Baltimore field office.

The companies and Nair are accused of conspiracy, knowingly failing to immediately notify the U.S. Coast Guard of known hazardous conditions, obstructing agency proceedings and making false statements. A message seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Synergy was also charged with a misdemeanor for discharging pollutants, including the container and its contents, into the Patapsco River.

FBI investigation into the accident Focus on the operation of the ship and whether the crew understands critical system issues before leaving port.

National Transportation Safety Board Discovered last year After two power outages – one caused by loose wires and another due to a fuel pump problem – the giant cargo ship lost control before it hit a bridge.

The “Daly” was leaving Baltimore for Sri Lanka when its steering failed due to a power outage. The ship hit a bridge support column around 1:30 a.m.

maryland officials It is estimated that it may cost The bridge will cost $4.3 billion to $5.2 billion to replace and is expected to open to traffic by the end of 2030.

“The changed skyline is a constant reminder of this tragedy,” Paul said.

But the true cost of the collapse was much higher, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. It disrupted shipping at the Port of Baltimore, disrupted thousands of livelihoods, rerouted road traffic in already overburdened communities and caused economic problems across the state.

The indictment follows Attorney General Anthony Brown’s announcement in April of a settlement in principle between the state of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Singaporean shipowner Grace Ocean Private Limited.

that lawsuit It is claimed that the accident was caused by negligence, mismanagement and reckless operation and that the vessel was unseaworthy and should never have left port. Plaintiffs include family The owner of the cargo on board the ship, where six construction workers died, and the local government are seeking compensation for financial losses. Details of the settlement have not been disclosed, and some parts of the lawsuit remain unresolved.

The state is seeking compensation on behalf of its agency for the destruction of the bridge, damage to the Patapsco River and surrounding environment, lost revenue and economic harm to the state of Maryland and its residents.

The attorney general’s office said in April that the settlement did not resolve any of the state’s claims against shipbuilder Hyundai Corp.

this bridge, Baltimore Historic LandmarksIt is an important part of the transportation infrastructure and allows drivers to easily get around the city center. The initial 1.6 miles (2.6 km) steel span took five years to build and opened to traffic in 1977.

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