Federal authorities announced criminal charges on May 12 against the Singaporean operator of the Dali container ship and one of its employees in connection with the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024, which killed six construction workers.
The indictment, filed on April 8 and unsealed Tuesday, charges Synergy Marine Private Limited, Synergy Marine Private Limited, and technical superintendent Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, an Indian national, with conspiracy to defraud the United States, misconduct resulting in death, and obstruction, among other offences.
Federal prosecutors allege the company improperly altered flushing pumps on the Dali to supply fuel to two of the ship’s generators, causing a second power blackout after the vessel had already lost power due to a loose wire, leaving the ship unable to regain control before it struck the Key Bridge’s support pier.
US Attorney Kelly Hayes stated at a press conference that if the Dali had been using the proper fuel supply pumps, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely navigate under the Key Bridge and the tragedy would have been avoided.
The use of flushing pumps as a fuel supply method violates international maritime law, and prosecutors allege that Nair and other company operators were aware of the improper configuration and the risks it created long before the night of the collapse.
Authorities further allege that after the crash, Nair falsely told investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board that he was unaware the Dali was using the flushing pump, constituting a separate act of obstruction in the federal investigation.
Investigators discovered evidence of the same improper pump configuration on three ships operated by the company, including the Dali, suggesting the practice was not an isolated incident but part of a broader operational pattern.
The criminal charges come after Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited already reached a civil settlement with the federal government covering port disruption and environmental damage, with a civil trial still scheduled for summer.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche described the bridge collapse as a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence, calling the indictment a critical step toward holding accountable those whose reckless disregard for maritime safety regulations caused the disaster.
