On March 26, 2024, the container ship MV Dali departed from the Port of Baltimore en route to Sri Lanka. Shortly after leaving port, the vessel lost power and struck a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing a large section of the bridge to collapse into the river. The tragic accident claimed the lives of six workers who were on the bridge at the time, marking one of the most significant U.S. maritime disasters in recent history.
Engineer Admits Concealing Hazardous Condition
Two years after the incident, the then-chief engineer of the Dali, Karthikeyan Deenadayalan, an Indian national, admitted that he failed to report a hazardous condition to the U.S. Coast Guard. According to records from the Justice Department, Deenadayalan acknowledged that he was aware the Dali used an unsafe fuel supply pump, known as a flushing pump, which lacked redundancy. This compromised the vessel's ability to navigate safely and recover from a loss of power. He further admitted that he knew the inability to recover from a power loss could adversely affect the safety of the vessel, as well as any bridge, structure, or shore area.
What is MV Dali?
MV Dali is a 900-foot foreign-flag container vessel registered in Singapore. It is managed by Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, based in Chennai, India.
How Did the Accident Happen?
The Dali lost power twice within a four-minute span as it navigated out of the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge. A loose wire in a high-voltage switchboard likely caused the first power loss. Critical systems on the Dali were originally designed with reliable redundancies and automatic restart capabilities to quickly regain power after a blackout. However, shortly after the vessel regained power, it lost power again. The companies managing the Dali allegedly altered the ship and relied on a flushing pump to supply fuel to two of the Dali's four generators. The flushing pump was not designed to automatically restart following a blackout, and the Dali's generators could not operate without a fuel supply, ultimately causing a second blackout. If the Dali had used the proper fuel supply pumps, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely navigate under the Key Bridge.
Charges Filed Earlier This Year
Earlier this year, the two companies along with Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, an Indian national who worked as the technical superintendent for both firms, were charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and false statements. Deenadayalan's acknowledgment came after these entities were charged by a federal court.
'Write a Convincing Email'
Deenadayalan detailed his conversations and correspondence with personnel from the two firms, including Nair, regarding the use of the unsafe flushing pump on the vessel. He stated that Nair directed him to send a "convincing" email to the charterer of the Dali so that they would not ask additional questions about the fuel consumption of the Dali, thereby preventing the revelation of the flushing pump's use.
This case continues to unfold as authorities investigate the full extent of negligence and misconduct surrounding the disaster.
