File picture of the cargo ship Dali stuck under part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the cargo ship hit the bridge, on March 26, 2024, in Baltimore
| Photo Credit: AP

The cargo ship Dali is stuck under part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge on March 26, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Mumbai:

Ship management firm Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean, owner of the Singapore-flagged cargo ship with 22 Indian crew members that collided with a US bridge in March, have reached an “agreement” with the US government on cost payment, while rejecting liability for the incident.

Container ship ‘DALI’, with an all-Indian crew of 22 members onboard, had collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March this year. The crew had issued a mayday call before the collision that led to the collapse of bridge, prompting authorities to limit traffic movement.

“We confirm that Grace Ocean and Synergy have reached an agreement with the United States regarding the payment of those costs, which are fully insured,” Synergy Marine Group said in a statement on Friday.

“The settlement strictly covers costs related to clearing the channel, which we would have been responsible for in any case, and is not indicative of any liability, which we expressly reject for the incident that led to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” it stated.

According to the statement, Grace Ocean and Synergy are prepared to vigorously defend themselves in the limitation of liability proceedings pending before the Federal Court in Baltimore and to establish that they were not responsible for the incident.

Synergy Marine Group also said “no punitive damages have been imposed as part of the settlement”.

“In accordance with the settlement, the United States has dismissed its claim,” it said.

In the incident, the cargo ship outbound from Baltimore to Colombo, rammed into one of the pillars of the bridge, while under pilotage with two pilots onboard. Shortly after the collision, the bridge collapsed, crashing on the cargo ship.

Following the disembarkation of crew members from the vessel, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean have put measures in place to support their well-being, the company said and added the 11 crew members who disembarked in Baltimore and Norfolk in June 2024 are accommodated in serviced apartments in Baltimore.

One crew member was granted approval by the US government to return to India for a family ceremony. The US government further granted an extension to this crew member, who is expected to return to the US in mid-November, to further assist with the ongoing investigation, Synergy Marine said.

Besides, two other crew members who were granted approvals by the US government to return to India for family reasons have joined their colleagues in the US, the company said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

The US Justice Department said Thursday that it has reached a $100 million settlement with the Singaporean owner and operator of a cargo ship that destroyed a Baltimore bridge.

The 1,000-foot (300-meter) M/V Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the early morning of March 26, killing six road workers and blocking the busy shipping channel.

Grace Ocean Private Ltd and Synergy Marine Private Ltd have agreed to pay $101.1 million to settle a civil suit aimed at recovering costs incurred in responding to the disaster and for removing tons of bridge debris from the channel leading to the port of Baltimore, the Justice Department said.

“Nearly seven months after one of the worst transportation disasters in recent memory, which claimed six lives and caused untold damage, we have reached an important milestone with today’s settlement,” Benjamin Mizer, a senior Justice Department official, said in a statement.

“This resolution ensures that the costs of the federal government’s cleanup efforts in the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy and not the American taxpayer,” Mizer said.

The Justice Department said the settlement does not include any damages for eventual rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. That is the subject of a separate claim from the state of Maryland.

The families of the six road workers who lost their lives are also pursuing legal claims of their own.

The Fort McHenry channel leading to the port of Baltimore, a key hub for the auto industry, reopened to commercial navigation on June 10.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

File photo shows a U.S. Coast Guard boat approaches clean-up operations at the Francis Scott Key Bridge as the main shipping channel prepares to fully reopen, in Baltimore. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a response in a Maryland court demanding more than $100 million in damages from Grace Ocean Pvt Ltd and Synergy Marine Pvt Ltd, the owner and the manager of containership Dali that crashed into a bridge off Baltimore on March 26. This led to six deaths and two persons were injured, besides requiring a salvage operation and shutdown of the Baltimore port for many months.

The response filed was to a limited liability claim made by the owner and the manager soon after the accident.

The Justice Department has called the tragedy “entire avoidable” and put the responsibility for the accident on the owner and the manager, alleging improper maintenance, violation of international safety and other norms, as well as an improperly trained crew.

Dali’s crew was almost entirely Indian. Synergy Marine, registered in Singapore, has Indians in key leadership positions with an operational base in Chennai and Mumbai, besides employing thousands of Indian seafarers on ships it manages.

Any merchant ship has a propeller run by an engine that moves it forward and back. A rudder controlled by a steering gear turns the ship left and right. Dali also had a bow thruster that can move it sideways. With these, Dali’s movements can be controlled.

As the ship was manoeuvring out of the port into the Chesapeake Bay, there was a blackout onboard. The Justice Department response says the ship had a history of heavy vibrations that were not addressed. And vibrations likely led to some power supply cables coming loose, leading to the switching off of a transformer and, hence, a blackout.

As per global norms, the emergency generator should have started after the blackout and provided power within 45 seconds. But that did not happen. The standby transformer was switched on after a delay and power was restored.

The response notes that Dali’s running generators were being supplied fuel by a “flushing” pump against norms that mandate the use of two large dedicated pumps. This was done to cut costs, the response alleged.

The flushing pump was not switched on after the blackout. So, starved of fuel, the generators offloaded, leading to a second blackout.

Without power, the engine could not be operated to stop the ship. There was no steering either. But the ship was moving forward under its own momentum and veering dangerously to the right towards the bridge pier.

At this time, the pilots ordered that the left side anchor should be dropped against the rightward drift but the ship staff were unable to drop the anchor quickly, according to the response. The pilots were told the bow thruster could not be operated either.

Washington:

The US Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking more than $100 million from the Singapore owner and operator of a cargo ship that destroyed a Baltimore bridge.

The 1,000-foot (300-meter) M/V Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, killing six road workers and blocking the busy shipping channel.

The civil suit against Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine Private was filed in the US District Court for the District of Maryland.

“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring accountability for those responsible for the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

“With this civil claim, the Justice Department is working to ensure that the costs of clearing the channel and reopening the Port of Baltimore are borne by the companies that caused the crash, not by the American taxpayer.”

The Justice Department said the suit is aimed at recovering more than $100 million in costs incurred in responding to the disaster and for removing tons of bridge debris.

The Dali lost power while leaving the port of Baltimore for Sri Lanka and struck the bridge.

Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said the owner and operator of the Dali were “well aware of vibration issues on the vessel that could cause a power outage.

“But instead of taking necessary precautions, they did the opposite.

“Out of negligence, mismanagement, and, at times, a desire to cut costs, they configured the ship’s electrical and mechanical systems in a way that prevented those systems from being able to quickly restore propulsion and steering after a power outage,” Mizer said.

“As a result, when the Dali lost power, a cascading set of failures led to disaster.”

The Justice Department suit comes after Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine filed a legal action of their own earlier this year seeking to limit their liability to $44 million.

The Justice Department lawsuit does not seek damages for the eventual costs of rebuilding the bridge. That is expected to be the subject of a separate claim from the state of Maryland.

The families of the six road workers who lost their lives are also pursuing legal claims of their own.

The Fort McHenry channel leading to the port of Baltimore, a key hub for the auto industry, reopened to commercial navigation on June 10.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

A stranded cargo ship that has been blocking one of America’s busiest ports will be removed Monday nearly two months after it struck and destroyed a bridge in Baltimore, authorities said over the weekend.

The complex operation would see the nearly 1,000-foot (300-meter) Dali container vessel transported to a marine terminal, marking a major step in reopening the key shipping channel.

The Singapore-flagged ship lost power before it plowed into a support column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, causing it to collapse and killing six construction workers who had been atop the major transit route.

The accident shut down the port, though temporary channels have allowed some traffic in and out of Baltimore.

Authorities leading the salvage operation said the Dali would be prepared for refloating from midday (1600 GMT) Sunday ahead of being moved at high tide on Monday, forecast for 5:24 am.

Divers will first inspect the ship to ensure there are no obstructions after demolition experts last week used explosives to remove parts of the collapsed steel bridge trapping the Dali, which still has its 21-man crew onboard.

Salvagers will then draw out up to 1.25 million gallons (4.7 million liters) of water previously pumped into the Dali to stabilize it as ballast, before releasing its anchors and mooring lines.

Tugboats will transport the Dali at around 1 mile per hour (1.6 kilometers per hour) to a nearby marine terminal, with the journey expected to take three hours.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore told NBC News on Sunday he was “proud that we’re on track and by the end of May we’ll have that federal channel reopened.”

Authorities have been working around the clock to clear the fallen bridge and reopen the waterway after it was rendered impassable due to the sprawling wreckage.

The port is a key hub for the auto industry, handling almost 850,000 autos and light trucks last year — more than any other US port, according to state figures.

In April the FBI launched a criminal probe into the incident, with its agents boarding the Dali as part of the investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is also investigating, said on Tuesday the ship had two electricity blackouts in the moments before the disaster.

It also said the crew had been tested multiple times, before and after the disaster, for drugs and alcohol, and that none had showed.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The cargo ship Dali experienced electrical blackouts about 10 hours before leaving the Port of Baltimore and yet again shortly before it slammed into the Francis Key Bridge and killed six construction workers, federal investigators said on May 14, providing the most detailed account yet of the tragedy.

The first power outage occurred after a crew member mistakenly closed an exhaust damper while conducting maintenance, causing one of the ship’s diesel engines to stall, investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board said in their preliminary report. Shortly after leaving Baltimore early on March 26, the ship crashed into one of the bridge’s supporting columns because another power outage caused it to lose steering and propulsion at the exact worst moment.

Why did the Baltimore bridge collapse and what do we know about the ship? | Explained

The report provides new details about how the ship’s crew addressed the power issues it experienced while still docked in Baltimore. A full investigation could take a year or more, according to the safety board.

Testing of the ship’s fuel did not reveal any concerns related to its quality, according to the report. The Dali was headed from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, laden with shipping containers and enough supplies for a monthlong voyage.

After the initial blackout caused by the closed exhaust damper, investigators say a backup generator automatically came on. It continued to run for a short period — until insufficient fuel pressure caused it to kick off again, resulting in a second blackout. That’s when crew members made changes to the ship’s electrical configuration, switching from one transformer and breaker system that had been in use for several months to another that was active upon its departure, according to the report.

Investigators stopped short of drawing a direct line between those earlier power issues and the blackout that ultimately caused the bridge collapse.

“The NTSB is still investigating the electrical configuration following the first in-port blackout and potential impacts on the events during the accident voyage,” investigators wrote.

The safety board launched its investigation almost immediately after the collapse, which sent six members of a roadwork crew plunging to their deaths. Investigators boarded the ship to document the scene and collect evidence, including the vessel’s data recorder and information from its engine room, according to board chair Jennifer Homendy. Investigators also interviewed the captain and crew members.

“Our mission is to determine why something happened, how it happened and to prevent it from recurring,” Ms. Homendy said at a news conference days after the disaster.

The preliminary report details the chaotic moments prior to the bridge collapse while crew members scrambled to address a series of electrical failures that came in quick succession as disaster loomed.

At 1.25 a.m. on March 26, when the Dali was a little over half a mile away from the bridge, electrical breakers that fed most of the ship’s equipment and lighting unexpectedly tripped, causing a power loss. The main propulsion diesel engine automatically shut down after its cooling pumps lost power, and the ship lost steering.

“Crew members were able to momentarily restore electricity by manually closing the tripped breakers,” the report says.

“Around that time, the ship’s pilots called for tugboats to come help guide the wayward vessel. The tugboats that guided it out of the port had peeled off earlier per normal practice,” according to the report. Crew members also started the process of dropping anchor and the pilots’ dispatcher called the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and relayed that the ship had lost power. The pilots’ dispatcher notified the Coast Guard.

“The ship was less than a quarter of a mile from the bridge when it experienced a second power blackout because of more tripped breakers,” according to the report. The crew again restored power, but it was too late to avoid striking the bridge.

“One of the pilots ordered the rudder turned at the last minute, but since the main engine remained shut down, there was no propulsion to assist with steering,” the report says. They also made a mayday call that allowed police to stop traffic to the bridge.

At 1.29 a.m., the 1.6-mile steel span came crashing down into the Patapsco River. The construction workers were sitting in their vehicles during a break when disaster struck. The last of the victims’ bodies was recovered last week.

One member of the seven-person roadwork crew survived the collapse by somehow freeing himself from his work truck. He was rescued from the water later that morning. A road maintenance inspector also survived by running to safety in the moments before the bridge fell.

On Monday, crews conducted a controlled demolition to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed bridge, which landed draped across the Dali’s bow, pinning the grounded ship amid the wreckage. The ship is expected to be refloated and guided back to the Port of Baltimore in the coming days.

It arrived in the U.S. from Singapore on March 19, a week before the crash, according to the report. It made stops in Newark, New Jersey, and Norfolk, Virginia, before coming to Baltimore. Investigators said they were not aware of any other power outages occurring in those ports.

They said they’re working with Hyundai, the manufacturer of the ship’s electrical system, to “identify the cause(s) of the breakers unexpectedly opening while approaching the Key Bridge and the subsequent blackouts.”

The board’s preliminary report released on Tuesday likely includes a fraction of the findings that will be presented in its final report, which is expected to take more than a year. The FBI has also launched a criminal investigation into the circumstances leading up to the collapse.

Washington, United States:

The container ship that collided with a major bridge in Baltimore, collapsing it within seconds, suffered two electricity blackouts in the moments before the disaster, a preliminary report by federal investigators released Tuesday said.

The Singapore-flagged Dali also lost power during maintenance twice on the previous day, though the report by the National Transportation Safety Board said it was still probing what impact that may have had. 

It had been clear that the ship had lost power in the seconds before the stunning collapse.

But the report is the first detailed examination of the events leading up to the disaster, which killed six construction workers who were making repairs on the bridge, and blocked the busy Port of Baltimore, a key US hub. 

In a timeline of the accident, it said the Dali was just 0.6 miles from the bridge when the electrical breakers that fed most of the ship’s equipment and lighting unexpectedly tripped, causing the first blackout.

The ship lost propulsion and steering and began to drift off course. The crew managed to restore power briefly, but with the Dali just 0.2 miles from the bridge the lights went out again.

An emergency generator gave the crew some steering and they made a hard turn to port — but without propulsion, the bridge’s fate was sealed. 

The report also detailed two blackouts about ten hours before leaving Baltimore.

“The first in-port blackout was caused by the mechanical blocking of the online generator’s exhaust gas stack. The second blackout in port was related to insufficient fuel pressure for the online generator,” it said.

It also said the crew had been tested multiple times, before and after the disaster, for drugs and alcohol, and that none had showed. 

In April, the FBI launched a criminal probe targeting the ship, with its agents boarding the Dali as part of the investigation.

President Joe Biden promised last month to “move heaven and earth” to rebuild the bridge, pledging federal funds and saying a new channel for shipping traffic would open by the end of May.

On Monday, crews demolished part of the bridge in a bid to free the Dali, which has been pinned beneath the wreckage since the collapse.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Explosives are detonated to free the container ship Dali, after it was trapped following its collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse, in Baltimore, U.S., on May 13, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Crews set off a chain of carefully placed explosives on May 13 to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and with a boom and a splash, the mangled steel trusses came crashing down into the river below.

The explosives flashed orange and let off plumes of black smoke upon detonation. The longest trusses toppled away from the grounded Dali container ship and slid off its bow, sending a wall of water splashing back toward the ship.

It marked a major step in freeing the Dali, which has been stuck among the wreckage since it lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore on March 26.

The collapse killed six construction workers and halted most maritime traffic through Baltimore’s busy port. The controlled demolition will allow the Dali to be refloated and restore traffic through the port, which will provide relief for thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners who have seen their jobs impacted by the closure.

Officials said the detonation went as planned. They said the next step in the dynamic cleanup process is to assess the few remaining trusses on the Dali’s bow and make sure none of the underwater wreckage is preventing the ship from being refloated and moved.

“It’s a lot like peeling back an onion,” said Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Officials expect to refloat the ship within the next few days. Then three or four tugboats will guide it to a nearby terminal at the port. It will likely remain there for a several weeks and undergo temporary repairs before being moved to a shipyard for more substantial repairs.

“This was a very big milestone for our progression forward,” Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore District Commander for the Army Corps of Engineers, said in the immediate aftermath of the demolition. She said crews don’t anticipate having to use any more explosives.

The Dali’s crew remained on board the ship during the detonation, and no injuries or problems were reported, said Capt. David O’Connell, commander of the Port of Baltimore.

The crew members haven’t been allowed to leave the grounded vessel since the disaster. Officials said they’ve been busy maintaining the ship and assisting investigators. Of the crew members, 20 are from India and one is Sri Lankan.

Engineers spent weeks preparing to use explosives to break down the span, which was an estimated 500 feet (152 meters) long and weighs up to 600 tons (544 metric tons). The demolition was postponed to May 12 because of thunderstorms.

“This is a best practice,” Governor Wes Moore said at a news conference on May 13, noting that there have been no injuries during the cleanup to date. “Safety in this operation is our top priority”.

Fire teams were stationed in the area during the explosion in case of any problematic flying sparks, officials said.

In a videographic released this week, authorities said engineers were using precision cuts to control how the trusses break down. They said the method allows for “surgical precision” and is one of the safest and most efficient ways to remove steel under a high level of tension. Hydraulic grabbers will now lift the broken sections of steel onto barges.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI are conducting investigations into the bridge collapse. Officials have said the safety board investigation will focus on the ship’s electrical system.

Danish shipping giant Maersk had chartered the Dali for a planned trip from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship didn’t get far. Its crew sent a mayday call saying they had lost power and had no control of the steering system. Minutes later, the ship rammed into the bridge.

State and federal officials have commended the salvage crews and other members of the cleanup operation who helped recover the remains of the six construction workers. The last body was recovered from the underwater wreckage last week. All of the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the U.S. for job opportunities. They were filling potholes on an overnight shift when the bridge was destroyed.

Officials said the operation remains on track to reopen the port’s 50-foot (15-meter) deep draft channel by the end of May. Until then, crews have established a temporary channel that’s slightly shallower. Officials said 365 commercial vessels have passed through the port in recent weeks. The port normally processes more cars and farm equipment than any other in the country.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Baltimore native whose father and brother served as mayor decades ago, compared the Key Bridge disaster to the overnight bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, which long ago inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the War of 1812. She said both are a testament to Maryland’s resilience.

Pelosi, a Democrat who represents California’s 11th district, attended Monday’s news conference with two of her relatives. She praised the collective response to the tragedy as various government agencies have come together, working quickly without sacrificing safety.

“Proof through the night that our flag was still there,” she said. “That’s Baltimore strong.”