Federal authorities announced criminal charges Tuesday against the company that operated the container ship responsible for bringing down Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, along with one of the vessel’s key personnel.
Prosecutors have indicted Singapore-based Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. and its Chennai, India subsidiary Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., as well as 47-year-old Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, an Indian citizen who served as the Dali’s technical superintendent.
The massive container vessel struck the bridge on March 26, 2024, resulting in the deaths of six road crew members who were repairing potholes at the time.
“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The defendants face multiple federal charges including conspiracy, deliberately withholding information about dangerous conditions from the U.S. Coast Guard, interfering with government proceedings, and providing false information to authorities.
Federal investigators examined the ship’s operations and whether crew members were aware of serious mechanical problems before departing Baltimore’s port.
Safety officials determined that two separate power failures – one from a disconnected electrical wire on the Dali and another from fuel pump malfunctions – knocked out the massive cargo vessel’s control systems prior to the collision.
The ship had been heading to Sri Lanka when the electrical failures caused it to lose steering capability. The vessel slammed into one of the bridge’s support pillars around 1:30 a.m.
Maryland authorities project that rebuilding the span will require between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, with the new bridge scheduled to open for traffic by late 2030.
However, state officials say the disaster’s total impact extends far beyond reconstruction costs. The collapse shut down Port of Baltimore operations, disrupted thousands of jobs, forced traffic through already overburdened neighborhoods, and created economic ripple effects across Maryland.
These criminal charges follow a preliminary legal agreement reached in April between Maryland, Synergy Marine, and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore company that owns the vessel, as announced by Attorney General Anthony Brown.
The civil lawsuit claimed the crash resulted from careless operations, poor management, and reckless handling of an unseaworthy ship that should have remained docked. The case includes claims from families of the six deceased workers, cargo owners, and local jurisdictions seeking compensation for financial damages. Settlement terms remain confidential and parts of the litigation continue.
Maryland pursued compensation for government agencies covering bridge reconstruction, environmental damage to the Patapsco River, lost state income, and economic harm to Maryland citizens.
The civil agreement does not address any potential claims against shipbuilder Hyundai, according to the attorney general’s office.
The bridge served as a crucial Baltimore icon and transportation link that enabled motorists to avoid traveling through the city center. The original 1.6-mile steel structure required five years of construction before opening in 1977.
