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The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the owner and operator of the container ship Dali, accusing them of gross negligence and dangerous cost-cutting measures that led to the ship crashing into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. The collision resulted in the deaths of six construction workers, the destruction of a portion of Interstate 695, and the closure of a vital port for several months.
The civil lawsuit, filed in federal court in Maryland, names two Singapore-based companies, Grace Ocean Private Limited, the ship’s owner, and Synergy Marine Private Limited, the operator. The government is seeking more than $100 million in damages for the extensive costs incurred by the U.S. in the aftermath of the disaster.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in a statement, emphasized the government’s commitment to holding the responsible parties accountable for the bridge’s destruction, the lives lost, and the disruption caused to both transportation and defense infrastructure. He stressed that these costs, which include emergency response efforts and the removal of over 50,000 tons of debris to clear a temporary channel for ship navigation, should not be borne by American taxpayers.
The catastrophic event was deemed “entirely avoidable,” according to the Justice Department’s claim, which outlines a series of failures that led to the disaster. As the Dali approached the Francis Scott Key Bridge, its number 1 step-down transformer — essential for converting high-voltage power into usable electricity — failed. This failure plunged the ship’s bridge and engine room into darkness, leaving the crew unable to steer or power the main engine.
The Justice Department alleges that this crucial transformer had been a known issue, vibrating excessively for some time and posing a serious risk of malfunction. Instead of addressing the problem with proper repairs, the ship’s owner and operator resorted to makeshift fixes, including welding a large hook to brace the faulty equipment. When the transformer finally gave out, the automatic safety system designed to switch power to a backup transformer had been disabled, forcing the engineers to scramble in darkness to reset the system manually.
Despite efforts to restore power, the crew was unable to regain control of the vessel in time. Backup systems failed to provide sufficient power to steer the ship, and under maritime regulations, the ship should have had access to an emergency generator within 45 seconds. However, the Dali drifted powerless for over a minute, leaving it on a direct collision course with the bridge.
Further compounding the disaster, the lawsuit highlights another critical error made by the ship’s operators. In an effort to cut costs, they had replaced the standard fuel pump for the diesel generators with a less reliable flushing pump. This decision prevented the automatic restart of the generators after the blackout, further delaying the restoration of the ship’s power.
As the situation deteriorated, the Maryland-based pilot on board ordered the crew to drop anchor in a last-ditch effort to avoid the crash. However, the anchor was not ready in time, and when it finally dropped, it was too late to have any impact. The ship also attempted to activate its bow thruster to change direction, but that too was unavailable.
The Dali ultimately slammed into one of the bridge’s support piers, causing sections of the Francis Scott Key Bridge to collapse onto the ship and into the Patapsco River. The lawsuit claims the incident could have been prevented had the ship been properly maintained and operated in line with safety regulations.
While the U.S. government seeks compensation for the emergency response costs, the rebuilding of the bridge falls under Maryland’s jurisdiction. The state is expected to pursue its own legal action to recover the expenses associated with reconstructing the damaged infrastructure.
Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine, the companies behind the Dali, have sought to limit their liability to less than $44 million. However, the Justice Department argues that their negligence led to far more extensive damages, both in terms of financial costs and loss of life. The case now moves forward in federal court, where it will likely become a landmark example of accountability in maritime operations.
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