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Federal officials announced Tuesday that criminal charges have been brought against the Singaporean operator and an employee of the container ship that downed Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge more than two years ago.
The indictment, filed on April 8, names Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, based in India, and technical superintendent Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, an Indian national, as defendants in the case.
Both companies and Nair are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding and false statements.
Federal officials allege the company improperly “altered” flushing pumps on the Dali container ship to supply fuel to two of the ship’s generators, ultimately causing a second blackout after the ship lost power initially due to a loose wire.
“The indictment alleges that if the Dali had been using the proper fuel supply pumps, then the vessel would have regained power in time to safely navigate under the Key Bridge,” U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes said in a press conference.
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The container ship Dali is seen in the wreckage of Francis Scott Key Bridge nearly a week after it struck a structural pier, causing part of the bridge to collapse on April 1, 2024. (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.”
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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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
