U.S. Indicts Singapore and Indian Ship Operators Over Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Federal prosecutors have charged Singapore‑based Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., Chennai‑based Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., and their technical superintendent, Indian national Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, for their role in the March 26 2024 collision of the 984‑foot container ship MV Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The indictment alleges the companies deliberately cut safety corners, using an unsuitable flushing pump that failed to restart after an initial power loss caused by a loose electrical wire. The subsequent loss of propulsion led the vessel to strike a bridge support, killing six construction workers, spilling pollutants into the Patapsco River, and causing $5 billion‑plus in economic damage. The defendants face charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, willful failure to notify the Coast Guard of a hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding, false statements, and misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water, Oil Pollution, and Refuse Acts. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called the collapse a “preventable tragedy of enormous consequence.” The case underscores the legal exposure of foreign‑flagged vessels operating in U.S. ports and follows a $2.25 billion settlement between Maryland and the ship’s owners.

The indictment marks a rare criminal prosecution in a maritime disaster, with investigators alleging that proper fuel‑supply pumps would have restored power and prevented the bridge’s destruction.