Baltimore Leaders Accuse MV Dali Ship Owner & Manager Of Negligence In Key Bridge Collapse Incident

Baltimore city leaders are accusing the owner and manager of the ship that caused the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge of negligence.

The mayor and city council submitted court papers on Monday, claiming that the companies should be held entirely accountable for the disaster that took place last month.

The container ship MV Dali, owned by Singapore’s Grace Ocean Private Ltd., slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, manages the ship.

The city’s attorneys claim negligence on the part of these companies, pointing out defects such as an inadequate assessment of the ship’s readiness for the voyage and insufficiently qualified crewing.

The bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, killing six members of a roadwork crew.

While en route to Sri Lanka, the ship lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore, resulting in a collision with the bridge’s support column.

Video Credits: FOX 5 Washington DC/YouTube

A federal court in Maryland is handling the legal proceedings surrounding the incident.

The court will determine liability and potential compensation. The case is expected to be one of history’s most expensive maritime tragedies.

Despite ongoing investigations, including a criminal investigation by the FBI and a federal examination by the National Transportation Safety Board, the corporations first tried to minimise their liability to around $43.6 million.

However, Baltimore leaders say that the economic impact of the fall, which delayed marine trade through the Port of Baltimore and hampered a critical East Coast freight route, requires full accountability from the ship’s owner and manager.

Salvage operations are ongoing to clear debris from the Patapsco River, with temporary channels allowing some vessels to travel through.

However, the port’s major shipping route is anticipated to be blocked for several weeks.

Grace Ocean and Synergy declined to comment regarding the legal action, citing the current dispute.

Meanwhile, lawyers representing collapse victims and their families have promised to resist the firms’ confession for limited culpability, underlining the incident’s terrible impact on the Baltimore region.

Reference: Business Standard, ABC News

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Source: Maritime Shipping News