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3w ago

U.S. Indicts Dali Operator and Engineer in Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse

Prosecutors say improper fuel‑pump practices disabled the ship.

View of the Dali cargo vessel which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing it to collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo
Crews conduct a controlled demolition of a section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge resting on the Dali container ship in Baltimore on May 13, 2024. The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a major transit route into the busy port of Baltimore, collapsed on March 26 when the Dali container ship lost power and collided into a support column, killing six roadway construction workers. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
FILE - A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge, March 26, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
FILE - Parts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge remain after a container ship collided with a support, March 26, 2024 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark, File)

Overview

  • The Justice Department unsealed a grand jury indictment Tuesday charging Singapore-based Synergy Marine, its India affiliate Synergy Maritime, and technical superintendent Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair in the 2024 crash that destroyed Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
  • Prosecutors allege the crew relied on a flushing pump to feed diesel to generators, which could not auto‑restart after a blackout, causing a second loss of power that left the ship without steering before the collision.
  • The case includes counts of conspiracy, failure to promptly notify the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazard, obstruction, and false statements, and the companies also face misdemeanor environmental charges over pollutants discharged into the Patapsco River.
  • The indictment cites at least $5 billion in economic losses, and a U.S. attorney said Synergy could face fines of up to $10 billion if convicted.
  • Nair is believed to be in India and prosecutors say they are working to bring him to the U.S., as civil claims continue alongside an April settlement in principle between Maryland, Synergy, and the ship’s owner.