US federal prosecutors have announced criminal charges in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the US state of Maryland.
The case involves the container ship Dali which, in March 2024, lost power twice during four minutes as it approached the bridge on its way out from the Atlantic port of Baltimore. The vessel crashed into the Key Bridge, killing six construction workers.
News agencies and US media report that the prosecutors’ indictments name Synergy Marine, based in Singapore, Synergy Maritime based in Chennai, India, and Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, an Indian national who was technical superintendent on board the Dali.
Nair and the companies are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the US Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding and false statements.
The two Synergy companies are also charged with misdemeanors over the release of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including shipping containers and their contents.
Earlier this year, Maryland cancelled a US$5 billion contract with Kiewit Infrastructure to replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The decision by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) was made on grounds of cost, as reported by Global Highways.
