Federal Charges Filed in Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse Case

Federal prosecutors have announced criminal charges against three defendants tied to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, saying the disaster could have been prevented if proper safety procedures had been followed, WBAL reports.

The charges target Singapore-based Synergy Marine, Chennai-based Synergy Maritime, and Radhakrishnan Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, a 47-year-old technical superintendent who worked for both companies aboard the cargo ship Dali. Prosecutors accuse the defendants of conspiracy, obstruction, false statements, misconduct resulting in death, and failing to notify the U.S. Coast Guard about known hazardous conditions on the vessel.

According to the indictment, the Dali lost power twice within four minutes before crashing into the Key Bridge. Investigators said the first outage was caused by a loose wire, but the ship briefly regained power through its automatic restart system. However, prosecutors allege the vessel later suffered a second catastrophic blackout because operators improperly relied on a flushing pump to supply fuel to generators. The flushing pump was not designed to automatically restart after a power failure, preventing the generators from recovering in time to avoid the bridge.

Federal officials claim the companies knowingly used the flushing pump improperly since 2020 and failed to disclose the dangerous setup to the Coast Guard. Prosecutors also allege employees fabricated safety inspections and certifications, falsely claiming the Dali was operating safely. Authorities said Nair later lied to investigators by denying knowledge of the flushing pump’s use aboard the vessel.

Officials say the collapse killed six people and caused major environmental concerns after debris, oil, and cargo containers spilled into the Patapsco River. Federal agencies warned the incident could have caused even greater devastation if more hazardous materials had leaked into the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Criminal Charges Filed in Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse Investigation was originally published on 92q.com