Federal prosecutors on Tuesday indicted the Singapore- and India-based operators of the container ship Dali and the vessel's technical superintendent on multiple criminal counts tied to the March 2024 collision that caused the Francis Scott Key Bridge to collapse and killed six construction workers.
The indictment names Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd., headquartered in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte. Ltd., based in Chennai, and charges the companies with conspiracy, obstruction, making false statements, and misconduct causing death, prosecutors said.
The companies are also accused of willfully failing to immediately notify the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition and of providing false information to investigators, according to the Justice Department, according to People.
Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, the Dali's technical superintendent and an Indian national, was separately indicted on similar counts, including conspiring to conceal the ship's problems before departure and obstructing agency inquiries, prosecutors said.
Authorities said the charges stem from decisions and actions by ship managers and staff that federal investigators believe contributed to the vessel losing propulsion and striking a support of the bridge in heavy traffic.
The Justice Department brought a total of 18 charges related to the incident, which caused the bridge's span to collapse into the Patapsco River and sent vehicles and crew into the water, killing six workers who had been conducting overnight repairs, officials said.
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Prosecutors also allege violations of environmental statutes over the release of oil, debris, and containers into the river following the collapse, NBC News reported.
Federal investigators from the FBI, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Transportation Safety Board conducted a multiagency probe that focused on the vessel's readiness to sail and whether company officials were aware of mechanical or safety issues before the voyage, according to court filings and prosecutor statements.
The indictment asserts that company personnel knew of hazardous conditions and failed to take appropriate remedial steps or to notify U.S. authorities prior to departure.
Maryland officials have previously estimated the cost to replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge at billions of dollars and said a new crossing would likely not open for several years; federal and state recovery and reconstruction work followed the collapse.
Families of the victims and local leaders have sought accountability through criminal and civil channels, according to reports, as per AJC.
