On Tuesday, federal officials revealed that criminal charges have been filed against the operator from Singapore and an employee tied to the container ship incident that led to the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge over two years ago.
The legal action, documented in an indictment on April 8, identifies Synergy Marine Pte Ltd from Singapore, Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd from India, and Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, a technical superintendent and Indian national, as the defendants.
The charges against the companies and Nair include conspiracy to defraud the United States, deliberately failing to promptly notify the U.S. Coast Guard about a known hazardous condition, obstructing an agency proceeding, and making false statements.
Authorities claim the company improperly modified the flushing pumps on the Dali container ship, enabling them to supply fuel to two of the ship’s generators. This modification allegedly led to a second power failure after the vessel initially lost power due to a loose wire.
“The indictment suggests that had the Dali utilized the appropriate fuel supply pumps, it would have regained power in time to safely pass beneath the Key Bridge,” stated U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes during a press briefing.
The container ship Dali was captured in the wreckage of Francis Scott Key Bridge nearly a week after it collided with a structural pier, which resulted in part of the bridge collapsing on April 1, 2024. (Photo by Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service/Getty Images)
The utilization of such flushing pumps is considered a violation of international law, with authorities alleging the company’s operators – including Nair – “knew about the improper use of the flushing pump and the risks that it presented,” Hayes said.
“The indictment further alleges that after the crash, Nair falsely told the National Transportation Safety Board that he was unaware that the Dali was using the flushing pump,” Hayes added.
Investigators found evidence of the pumps being used on three ships – including the Dali – that are operated by the company, officials said.
Part of a span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge is suspended on the container ship Dali in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., March 26, 2024. U.S. (Army Corps of Engineers/Handout via REUTERS)
In a statement, Synergy Marine Group condemned the charges while asserting investigators’ findings that the accident was “inevitable due to the loose wire.”
“DOJ is criminalizing a tragic accident. The allegations in the indictment are baseless and have nothing to do with the Dali’s allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” a Synergy Marine Group spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital, adding, “DOJ’s allegations are inconsistent with the clear and well-documented findings of the specialist maritime professionals involved in the NTSB investigation.”
The development comes one month after Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd reached a settlement in principle with the State of Maryland over damages stemming from the ship’s collapse, including disruption to the port and environmental damage, according to The Associated Press.
A civil trial is set for the summer.
The Dali was navigating out of Baltimore Harbor bound for Sri Lanka when it lost power and struck a support pier, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River, around 1:30 a.m. on March 26, 2024.
In an aerial view, salvage crews continue to clean up wreckage from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the Patapsco River on June 11, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore’s Fort McHenry Federal Channel has fully opened for shipping traffic months after the cargo ship Dali collided with the bridge, causing it to collapse. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The collision killed six construction workers who were filling potholes on the bridge at the time.
“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “This indictment is a critical step toward holding accountable those whose reckless disregard for maritime safety regulations caused this disaster.”
Maryland officials estimate it could cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion to replace the bridge, which is set to reopen in late 2030.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice and an attorney representing the victim’s families for comment.
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