Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday that a grand jury has brought criminal charges against two international shipping companies and a technical supervisor in connection with last year’s devastating cargo ship crash that toppled Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The March 2024 disaster occurred when the 984-foot vessel Dali experienced multiple power failures while departing Baltimore’s port, ultimately striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge and killing six construction workers. Federal authorities estimate the incident resulted in more than $5 billion in damages plus substantial environmental harm.
Facing charges are Singapore-based Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, Chennai-based Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, and Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, a 47-year-old Indian citizen who served as technical superintendent for the Dali at both companies. Authorities believe Nair is currently located in India.
The defendants face multiple federal charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy resulting in the deaths of six bridge workers, deliberately withholding information about dangerous vessel conditions from the Coast Guard, interfering with a federal investigation, and making false statements.
Additionally, prosecutors charged the companies and Nair with submitting fraudulent statements and documentation to the National Transportation Safety Board during their investigation.
The two Synergy companies also face environmental violations under the Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, and Refuse Act for releasing contaminants into the Patapsco River.
Federal investigators determined that a loose electrical wire triggered a circuit breaker malfunction, setting off a chain reaction that caused the ship to lose power twice within four minutes as it departed Baltimore’s harbor, resulting in the loss of both propulsion and steering capabilities.
According to the federal indictment, the defendants improperly relied on a flushing pump to deliver fuel to two of the Dali’s four power generators. However, this flushing pump lacked automatic restart capability following electrical failures, leaving the generators without fuel during the blackouts.
Prosecutors contend that had the vessel been equipped with appropriate fuel supply pumps, the Dali would have restored power quickly enough to safely pass beneath the bridge without incident.
