Salvage work continues on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge as it lies on the container ship Dali on April 22, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. Two companies who operated the ship and a technical superintendent face charges related to the incident. File Photo by Julia Nikhinson/UPI | License Photo
The operator of a container ship that collided with and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in 2024 faces federal charges of attempting to defraud the government, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
Synergy Marine, which operates as two countries out of Singapore and India, and Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, an Indian national who worked as the technical superintendent of the ship, were named in the indictment.
Nair and each of the two entities face charges of 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 two companies also face misdemeanor charges for violating the Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act and Refuse Act for the discharge of pollutants and the contents of the containers during the March 26, 2024 crash.
“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “This indictment is 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 $5 billion.”
The 900-foot container ship, MV Dali, crashed into bridge March 26, 2024, after losing electricity, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report in November. The cause of the power loss was a loose signal wire connection to a terminal block that the NTSB traced back to improperly installed wire-label banding.
The ship lost its propulsion and steering, causing it to strike the southern pier supporting the bridge. Much of the bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River, killing six construction workers.
Scenes from Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore
A damaged container ship rests next to a bridge pillar in the Patapsco River after crashing into and destroying the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the entrance to Baltimore harbor on March 26, 2024. Photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo
