City officials in Baltimore have accused the owner and manager of the ship involved in the collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge of negligence, claiming that they allowed the vessel to embark despite its obvious lack of seaworthiness.
Attorneys for the city have accused Synergy Marine, the manager of the Dali, and Grace Ocean, the ship’s owner, of being “grossly and potentially criminally negligent” in a legal filing.
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Two Singapore-based firms, facing allegations related to the bridge disaster, have filed a petition in a Maryland federal court. They are seeking to limit their liability to $43.6 million.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and the city council are opposing the petition, which calls for the implementation of no limits.
Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean have been accused of negligence and reckless management in a filing that blames them for the collapse of the bridge on March 26. The filing includes a range of allegations highlighting their alleged role in the incident.
According to the court petition, reports have indicated that alarms indicating an inconsistent power supply on the Dali were sounding even before it left port. Despite the clear unseaworthy condition of the Dali, it still proceeded to leave port.
City officials have leveled additional accusations against the people responsible for the Dali, claiming that they employed an “incompetent crew” who displayed negligence in their duties, lacked sufficient training, and failed to adhere to local navigation customs.
Synergy Marine’s spokesperson refrained from making any comments regarding the ongoing court proceedings. Business Insider reached out to Grace Ocean for a comment, but they did not respond at the time of reporting.
The Dali, a Singapore-flagged vessel, collided with a support pillar of the Key Bridge in the early morning of March 26. The incident occurred as the ship was departing the Port of Baltimore en route to Sri Lanka, resulting in the collapse of a significant portion of the bridge into the Patapsco River.
Tragedy struck when six construction workers lost their lives while repairing potholes on the bridge.
The 984-foot ship experienced a power failure while maneuvering towards the bridge, resulting in a loss of propulsion. The crew promptly issued a mayday call prior to the collision, enabling traffic police to secure access to the bridge.
The Dali had two ship pilots on board, who were local experts on the terrain and river. These specialists usually provide advice to the ship’s master, who is responsible for piloting the vessel through challenging waters and weather conditions. Fortunately, the 22 crew members on the Dali, all of whom were Indian, remained unharmed.
The collapse of the Key Bridge has dealt a severe blow to Baltimore’s economy, as it has disrupted maritime traffic to and from the city’s port. Baltimore’s port, which ranks as the ninth-largest in the United States, is responsible for approximately $15 million in economic activity on a daily basis. Moreover, the collapse has also caused significant disruptions to trucking routes, further impacting the city’s overall economic performance.
According to the filing by city officials, the Port has a direct impact on tens of thousands of jobs. This raises concerns about the potential ripple effect on the regional economy, as port workers who have lost their jobs may no longer be able to contribute to local businesses.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is currently in charge of cleaning up the bridge site and retrieving the fallen containers from the Patapsco River, is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the collision.
According to The Washington Post, the FBI initiated a criminal investigation last week to determine if any members of the Dali’s crew were aware of the system issues on the ship.
