New Delhi: Two years after the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced criminal charges against the Singapore-based operator of the ship involved in the crash and its Indian employee.
Six construction workers were killed after cargo ship Dali, registered in Singapore, crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on 26 March 2024. The construction workers were part of a maintenance crew working on the roadway. The bridge had collapsed into the Patapsco river as a result of the impact, bringing the Baltimore port to a standstill for two months.“Two corporate entities and a shoreside superintendent face criminal charges in connection with the vessel crash that knocked down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland,” the DOJ said in a statement released 12 May.
The Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland unveiled the indictment, charging three defendants with conspiracy to defraud the US and with causing the death of six construction workers on the bridge, among other charges.The economic loss is at least $5 billion, according to the indictment.“Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, based in Chennai, India, along with Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who worked for both companies as the Technical Superintendent for the Dali, are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and false statements,” the DOJ statement said.Adding, “The two Synergy corporations are also charged with misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, and Refuse Act for the discharge of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including shipping containers and their contents, oil, and the bridge itself.”Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that this indictment was a critical step toward holding accountable those whose reckless disregard for maritime safety regulations caused this disaster.“Six construction workers lost their lives, critical infrastructure was destroyed, pollutants were released into the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay, and the economic damage now exceeds five billion dollars. This Department is committed to securing justice for the victims and ensuring those responsible are held to account,” Blance said.The indictment, according to special agent in charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, “reveals a pattern of deception and egregious violations that led to the unsafe operation of the Dali which recklessly endangered the public and resulted in the ship striking the bridge.”Following the crash, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Coast Guard had opened a criminal investigation.
