The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the owner and manager of the cargo ship that resulted in the deadly collapse of the Baltimore Bridge. The lawsuit, seeking to recover more than $100 million from the company, alleges that the owner ignored electrical issues on the ship and placed an "ill-prepared crew on an abjectly unseaworthy vessel."
On March 26, the Singapore-flagged M/V Dali lost power and crashed into a support column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and killing six road workers who had been filling potholes overnight. At the time of the accident, the 106,000-ton ship was headed for Sri Lanka.
The lawsuit seeks to recover the costs the United States incurred in responding to the fatal disaster and for clearing the wreck and bridge debris from the navigable channel, so the port could reopen, the DOJ said in a statement.
The lawsuit was filed in Maryland against Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, the Singaporean corporations that owned and operated the container ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge. It gave an elaborate account of the failures on Dali, which left the crew exposed to imminent dangers.
"The Justice Department is committed to ensuring accountability for those responsible for the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which resulted in the tragic deaths of six people and disrupted our country's transportation and defense infrastructure," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
The DOJ lawsuit claims the electrical and mechanical systems of the ship were "jury-rigged." The department also alleged that these systems were improperly maintained, resulting in the power outage that occurred moments before the ship struck one of Francis Scott Key Bridge's support columns, the Associated Press reported.
The lawsuit stated that none of the four means that "should have been available to help steer the DALI — the propeller, rudder, anchor, or bow thruster — worked when they were needed to avert or even mitigate this disaster."
The Justice Department further said in the complaint that the tragedy was totally "avoidable." "They did so to reap the benefit of conducting business in American ports. Yet they cut corners in ways that risked lives and infrastructure."
Darrell Wilson, a spokesperson for Grace Ocean, stated that the company had no comment on the claims of the Justice Department but noted that they look forward to their day in court.
The Baltimore shipping lane fully reopened in June.
