The Maryland has reached a $2.25 billion settlement with the owner and operator of the ship that destroyed the bridge. The companies involved in operating the Dali deny any wrongdoing. The operators are accused of misleading the NTSB. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that a grand jury had indicted two foreign operators and a ground-based official in connection with the March 2024 collision of the Dali cargo ship, which destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and resulted in the deaths of six construction workers.
The state of Maryland has finalized a $2.25 billion settlement with Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, the owner and operator of the Dali, ahead of the June 1 trial date. The settlement does not resolve Maryland’s claims against the shipbuilder, Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The collision caused at least $5 billion in damages and significant environmental harm. Last year, the National Transportation Safety Board determined that a loose wire in the electrical system caused an unexpected circuit breaker opening, leading to power outages and loss of propulsion and control on the ship.
The operators of the Dali – Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, based in Chennai, India, along with Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, a 47-year-old Indian national working as the technical superintendent of the Dali – are charged with conspiracy, knowingly failing to report a known dangerous situation to the U.S. Coast Guard, obstructing an administrative procedure, and making false statements.
Nair is believed to be in India. The two Synergy companies issued a statement pledging to defend against the charges, stating that the NTSB found Synergy Marine’s actions were independent and not liable. They expressed deep concern over the criminal charges and disputed any crew negligence.
Synergy Marine also expressed concern over the U.S. Department of Justice detaining the Dali crew members in the United States for over two years despite evidence supporting their actions were appropriate given the circumstances.
The three men were charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and causing the deaths of six construction workers on the bridge. They are also accused of providing false statements and documents to the NTSB. The two Synergy companies also face charges related to violating environmental laws by discharging pollutants into the Patapsco River.
According to the indictment, the Dali experienced two power outages within four minutes of leaving the port of Baltimore, leading to the collision with the Key Bridge. The Justice Department alleges that the defendants relied on a flushing pump to fuel two of the Dali’s four generators, but the pump was not designed to restart automatically after a power failure, rendering the generators useless without fuel.
The indictment claims that if the Dali had used appropriate fuel supply pumps, the ship would have regained power in time to safely pass under the bridge.
