Prosecutors have filed a criminal charge against the chief engineer of a cargo ship involved in the deadly 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. Karthikeyan Deenadayalan was charged in U.S. District Court in Maryland with one count of violating the federal Port and Waterways Safety Act.
Background
The Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, lost power twice in a four-minute span as it moved to sea from the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge in the early hours of March 26, 2024. Investigators say a loose wire in a switchboard likely caused the first power loss that led to its steering failure.
Prosecutors say Deenadayalan willfully failed to notify the U.S. Coast Guard that an improper fuel pump without a backup system was being used to power two of the ship’s generators. This caused a second blackout to occur, and the vessel crashed into a supporting column of the bridge, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes on the structure.
Related Charges
The Singapore-based ship operator and another employee were indicted on criminal charges in May, accused of relying on the improper pump and then lying about it to investigators. A trial in the case against the ship’s operator and the technical superintendent has been scheduled for October 2027.
In April, a $2.25 billion settlement was announced between the state of Maryland, Synergy Marine, and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore-based ship owner. Grace Ocean hasn’t been charged with any crimes related to the collapse.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
