According to foreign media reports, federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the ship management company and a technical supervisor related to the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore City, marking a major escalation in the legal consequences of the worst maritime infrastructure disaster in the United States in decades.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that Singapore-based Synergy Marine Pte Ltd and Technical Director Radhakrishnan Kalickil Nair were indicted on charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of justice, perjury, and failure to immediately report known hazardous conditions aboard the container ship “Dali” to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants knowingly and willfully made unsafe modifications to the Singapore-flagged vessel, causing the cargo ship “Dali” to strike the Francis Scott Key Bridge, resulting in the deaths of six construction workers and crippling a major transportation artery into the Port of Baltimore.
According to the indictment, the economic losses from the casualty are estimated to exceed $5 billion.
The government stated that the “Dali” experienced two power outages within four minutes while departing the Port of Baltimore. Investigators said a loose wire in the high-voltage switchboard may have caused the first blackout, but the ship’s backup system was allegedly altered, undermining critical redundancy functions.
Federal prosecutors claim the crew relied on a flushing pump to supply fuel to two generators, although the pump was not designed to automatically restart after a power loss. Consequently, it is alleged that after the initial blackout, the generators lost fuel supply, causing a second blackout that left the ship without power and steering control moments before impact with the bridge pier.
The indictment also accuses the company and Technical Director Nair of misleading investigators during the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the casualty, including allegedly false statements regarding the use of the flushing pump.
In addition to the conspiracy charges, the defendants face environmental charges under the Clean Water Act, the Oil Pollution Act, and the Refuse Act related to the discharge of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including oil, shipping containers, and bridge debris.
The criminal case is based on findings released late last year by the National Transportation Safety Board, which determined that a signal wire was not properly secured, leading to the initial electrical failure on the nearly 1,000-foot-long container ship.
The NTSB found that a wire tie tag prevented the signal wire from being correctly inserted into the terminal block, creating a poor electrical connection that ultimately caused the wire to disconnect and trigger the blackout.
Investigators also identified broader operational and design issues, including the use of a flushing pump as a fuel service pump and the configuration of the ship’s engine shutdown sequence linked to low cooling water pressure.
In response to the findings, Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), which built the “Dali,” stated that the ship’s owner and operator bypassed critical built-in redundancy systems after delivery, replacing the automatic fuel supply pumps with a flushing pump lacking redundancy that could not automatically restart after a power loss. HHI said these modifications violated class society rules and directly caused the second blackout, leaving the ship without power and maneuverability before the fatal collision with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The disaster has prompted comprehensive safety recommendations in the maritime and bridge infrastructure sectors, including calls for improved redundancy standards for large vessels, expanded use of thermal imaging technology in electrical maintenance, and a nationwide review of bridge vulnerability to ship strikes.
The bridge collapse rendered the Port of Baltimore impassable for weeks, disrupted regional supply chains, and forced over 34,000 vehicles daily onto detour routes. Bridge reconstruction costs are estimated between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, with completion expected around 2030.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the case. Prosecutors emphasized that the indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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