Singaporean shipowner Grace Ocean and ship manager Synergy Group are facing trial in Baltimore after the city’s lawyers filed a case yesterday. They claim that the ship involved in the accident, which resulted in the collapse of a bridge and the death of six people, had left port in “unseaworthy” conditions.
The legal battle over the Dali containership’s fatal collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26 is expected to be lengthy and expensive. The FBI has initiated a criminal inquiry into the accident, while the shipowner and manager have filed a federal lawsuit denying responsibility and seeking to limit the total payout to $43.7m.
Lawyers representing the city of Baltimore have responded to the allegations, accusing the shipowner and crew of negligence that led to the tragic accident.
According to the filing, alarms indicating inconsistent power supply on the Dali had sounded before it left port, but the ship proceeded despite its unseaworthy condition. The city also alleges that the crew was incompetent and failed to maintain or properly use essential equipment.
Grace Ocean and Synergy have not yet responded to the allegations.
The Dali’s voyage data recorder showed a brief power failure as it approached the bridge, and the pilot attempted to avoid a collision by dropping the anchor to pivot the vessel away.
The 9,962 teu Dali containership remains stuck under the bridge in the Patapsco River. Salvors have created three channels to remove the steel debris from the bridge.
A 1,000-tonne hydraulic grab has been brought in to assist in the removal of the collapsed bridge.
Authorities are working to clear the bridge debris and aim to have the port operating at full capacity by the end of May.
