WASHINGTON – The US Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Sept 18 seeking more than US$100 million (S$129 million) from the Singapore owner and operator of a cargo ship that destroyed a Baltimore bridge.
The 300m-long Dali ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, killing six road workers and blocking the busy shipping channel.
The civil suit against Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine was filed in the US District Court for the District of Maryland.
“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring accountability for those responsible for the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” Attorney-General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
“With this civil claim, the Justice Department is working to ensure that the costs of clearing the channel and reopening the Port of Baltimore are borne by the companies that caused the crash, not by the American taxpayer.”
The Justice Department said the suit is aimed at recovering more than US$100 million in costs incurred in responding to the disaster and for removing tonnes of bridge debris.
The Dali lost power while leaving the port of Baltimore for Sri Lanka and struck the bridge.
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney-General Benjamin Mizer said the owner and operator of the Dali were “well aware of vibration issues on the vessel that could cause a power outage”.
“But instead of taking necessary precautions, they did the opposite,” he said.
“Out of negligence, mismanagement, and, at times, a desire to cut costs, they configured the ship’s electrical and mechanical systems in a way that prevented those systems from being able to quickly restore propulsion and steering after a power outage.
“As a result, when the Dali lost power, a cascading set of failures led to disaster.”
The Justice Department suit comes after Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine filed a legal action of their own earlier in 2024 seeking to limit their liability to US$44 million.
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Publish date : 2024-09-18 14:18:00
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