MV Dali Crew To Return Home Months After Being Stranded In Baltimore After Key Bridge Collapse

Crew members of the cargo ship MV Dali can return home under an agreement in which the lawyers will be able to interrogate them on the ongoing inquiry into the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

U.S District Judge James K. Bredar confirmed the settlement during a hearing on June 20, 2024.

None of the MV Dali crew members has been permitted to leave the United States since March 26, 2024, when the MV Dali lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s supporting columns.

The collision killed six construction workers and temporarily halted most maritime operations through Baltimore’s major port.

The new agreement allows the crew to return to their home nations if they stay available for depositions.

The decision comes after attorneys urged on June 18, 2024, that the crew members from India and Sri Lanka be prohibited from leaving the United States.

The attorneys believed that the crew possessed crucial knowledge about the events leading up to the bridge collapse and that if released, they would not return for interrogation.

Attorney William H. “Billy” Murphy Jr., who represents claimant Damon Davis, emphasized the litigation’s complexity and possible high expenses, claiming it could be the most costly maritime lawsuit in history.

Seven attorneys represented the federal government during the hearing, while two lawyers for Dali’s owner refused to comment as they left the courtroom.

Lawrence B. Brennan, an experienced admiralty lawyer, stated that such legal disputes are not uncommon, emphasizing the need to finish depositions as soon as possible to avoid lengthy litigation.

Darrell Wilson, the spokesperson for the ship’s owner, stated that while some crew members were set to leave, others would stay to assist with the inquiry.

He could not say when the ship would leave Baltimore for Norfolk, Virginia, to undergo significant repairs.

The Dali had been trapped in the wreckage for about two months while workers removed debris from the Patapsco River.

The crew remained on board even as explosive demolitions were used to remove the bridge trusses from the ship.

The ship’s owner and manager, two Singapore-based corporations, have filed a plea to restrict their liability for the catastrophe.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FBI conducted investigations and discovered that the ship experienced power failures before departing the Port of Baltimore, with another outage occurring soon before the bridge fell.

These agencies are still investigating the reason for the electrical failures.

According to emails in court documents, eight crew members had been scheduled to return home after being examined by Department of Justice investigators.

The Justice Department did not object to their departure.

According to Andrew Middleton of Apostleship of Sea, who spoke with the sailors, the crew’s feelings were mixed, with some relieved to be home and others concerned about their homecoming.

Baltimore officials evaluating compensation for the event first rejected the Dali owner’s pleas to limit damages to $43 million.

The legal litigation continues, and while some crew members are likely to head home, the ship remains at a nearby container terminal, with new sailors on their way.

The shipping route near Baltimore closed for 11 weeks due to the catastrophe, reopened last week.

Reference: AP News, BBC

MV Dali Crew To Return Home Months After Being Stranded In Baltimore After Key Bridge Collapse appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News