Remember that startling (and awful) video of a massive container ship that had lost power plowing into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2024, pretty much destroying the crossing and killing six construction workers?
Authorities say the accident was preventable, and now the Department of Justice is taking action and filing criminal charges against two companies and a shoreside technical superintendent for their roles in the fiasco:
Foreign Operators and Technical Superintendent of M/V Dali Indicted for Roles in Key Bridge Crash
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) May 12, 2026
Indian and Singapore Corporations and Company Official Charged with Conspiring to Defraud the United States and Causing the Death of Six Construction Workers
“The collapse of the… pic.twitter.com/2Oq6byEdMv
The DOJ's tweet continues:
Foreign Operators and Technical Superintendent of M/V Dali Indicted for Roles in Key Bridge Crash
Indian and Singapore Corporations and Company Official Charged with Conspiring to Defraud the United States and Causing the Death of Six Construction Workers
“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence,” said Acting Attorney General @DAGToddBlanche. “This indictment is a critical step toward holding accountable those whose reckless disregard for maritime safety regulations caused this disaster. Six construction workers lost their lives, critical infrastructure was destroyed, pollutants were released into the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay, and the economic damage now exceeds five billion dollars. This Department is committed to securing justice for the victims and ensuring those responsible are held to account.”
According to a Tuesday DOJ press release, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, based in Chennai, India, along with Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national, are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and making false statements.
MORE: Justice Department Sues the Company Whose Ship Caused Baltimore Bridge Crash for $100M
WATCH: Dramatic New NTSB Drone Video Shows Stunning Level of Damage From the Key Bridge Collapse
US Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes announced the charges Tuesday at a press conference aboard the NS Savannah, a ship docked in Southeast Baltimore within sight of the destroyed bridge. The Dali lost power twice, and the second time was caused entirely by illegal acts by the operators:
The first power loss was likely caused by a loose wire in a high voltage switchboard, but critical systems on the dolly were designed with redundancies and automatic restart capabilities, so the dolly quickly regained power after the first blackout. However, shortly after the vessel regained power, a second loss of power occurred. The second loss of power happened because the defendants relied on a flushing pump to supply fuel to two of the dolly's generators. The flushing pump, however, did not automatically restart. Instead, it needed to be manually restarted when the flushing pump was not restarted in time.
Prosecutors also alleged that they lied about their use of the flushing pump and willfully ignored the electrical problems.
Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the operator of the Dali cargo ship and an employee tied to the deadly collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
— 7News DC (@7NewsDC) May 12, 2026
Investigators allege the crew recklessly cut corners and ignored known electrical problems on the… pic.twitter.com/ZgRsWzugAH
Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the operator of the Dali cargo ship and an employee tied to the deadly collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Investigators allege the crew recklessly cut corners and ignored known electrical problems on the vessel that caused “catastrophic harm,” including the deaths of six highway workers.
The preventable accident shut down a key transportation crossing that spanned 4 lanes of I‑695. It’s cost billions of dollars in trade and produced innumerable commuter headaches. Currently, reconstruction is underway, and the latest projection is that it will be completed in 2030 at a cost of $5.2 billion.
In the meantime, expect Synergy to be on the hook for billions.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated post-publication to detail who exactly was charged.
Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.
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