MV Dali Ship Crew Forced To Stay Onboard Without Cellphones Since Baltimore Bridge Collapse

The 21 crew members of the MV Dali ship that slammed into the Baltimore bridge and resulted in its collapse are now encountering a “tough” time as they continue to be stuck in the ship for 55 days.

The crew, 20 Indians and a Sri Lankan, have been compelled to be on board since the disaster took place on 26 March, in which the Francis Scott Key Bridge entirely collapsed, and the six construction workers lost their lives.

The crew members scrambled to locate the survivors following the collision, got their phones taken away by FBI agents and managed to brave several controlled explosions to break the chunk of the bridge that was stuck on the ship’s bow.

Gwee Guo Duan, an assistant general secretary associated with the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union, mentioned while talking to CNN that it has been rough for the seafarers, primarily because they are aware that there has been a loss of life.

The Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union is legally permitted to represent the crew members on the Singapore-flagged vessel.

He added that being onboard and looking at the accident site each day is tough.

Per the US maritime guidelines, minimum staffing must be maintained at all times so that the crew is available when machinery aboard is running and if something goes wrong.

Also, the crew members’ US visas, which permit them to depart from the boat, have expired.

The owner of Dali Ship, Synergy Marine’s relevant officials, said that the crew members have been well-supplied, and the 21 men have been busy with maintenance and other work.

They added that they also have access to mental health services.

The Singaporean unions have said that the crew members have been distressed owing to the “unfounded” fear that officials will hold them responsible for such an incident.

The port chaplain and the Executive Director for Baltimore’s International Seafarers’ Centre, Reverend Messick, said he had been alarmed to hear that the FBI had confiscated the seamans’ cellphones in April 2024.

The crew members have been provided with temporary phones, but they can’t access the SIM cards or data that were in the original phones.

Reference: NYPost, WION

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Source: Maritime Shipping News