World Courant
The FBI confirmed Saturday that federal brokers boarded a ship operated by the identical firm because the cargo ship that prompted the lethal bridge collapse close to Baltimore.
In statements, spokespeople for the FBI and the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace in Maryland confirmed that authorities boarded the Maersk Saltoro, which is operated by Synergy Marine Group.
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Legal Investigation Division of the U.S. Environmental Safety Company, and the Coast Guard Investigative Companies are on board the Maersk Saltoro conducting court-authorized regulation enforcement actions,” each the FBI and U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned in statements Saturday morning.
Authorities didn’t present additional particulars. The Washington Submit was the primary to report that federal authorities had been boarding the ship.
The raid got here months after detectives performed an identical investigation into the Dali, the cargo ship that crashed into the bridge.
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Division alleged that Dali proprietor Grace Ocean Personal Ltd. and supervisor Synergy Marine, each of Singapore, recklessly lower corners and ignored recognized electrical issues on the ship. The vessel stalled a number of occasions, minutes earlier than it struck a assist column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.
The Justice Division mentioned mechanical and electrical programs on the large ship had been “jury-rigged” and improperly maintained, resulting in energy outages and a sequence of different failures that left pilots and crew helpless within the face of impending catastrophe. The ship was leaving Baltimore for Sri Lanka when its controls failed as a result of lack of energy.
Six members of a roadworks crew had been killed when the bridge collapsed into the water. The collapse additionally prompted business delivery site visitors via Baltimore Harbor to be disrupted for months earlier than the canal was absolutely reopened in June.
The Justice Division is in search of to recoup the greater than $100 million the federal government spent on cleansing up underwater particles and reopening the town’s port.
The businesses filed a petition with the court docket a number of days after the collapse to restrict their authorized legal responsibility in what might be the most costly maritime accident case in historical past. Justice Division officers mentioned there is no such thing as a authorized assist for that bid to restrict legal responsibility and vowed to vigorously contest it.
Within the lawsuit, which additionally seeks damages, the Justice Division mentioned ship house owners and operators “have to be deterred from such reckless and grossly dangerous conduct.”
That additionally applies to Grace Ocean and Synergy itself, because the Dali has a “sister ship,” authorities wrote within the declare.
The 2 corporations “ought to be deterred as a result of they proceed to function their vessels, together with a sister ship to the Dali, in U.S. waters and derive financial profit from doing so,” the lawsuit mentioned.
Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for Grace Ocean, confirmed that the FBI and Coast Guard boarded the Maersk Saltoro Saturday morning within the Port of Baltimore. Wilson beforehand mentioned the proprietor and supervisor “stay up for our day in court docket to set the document straight.”
Just like the Dali, the Saltoro, which flies the Singapore flag, was constructed by Hyundai in 2015.
In keeping with the Justice Division lawsuit, main issues with the Dali’s electrical system might be the results of extreme vibration on the ship, which might loosen wires and harm connections. A former captain of the ship had reported “heavy vibration” in his handover notes in Could 2023 and mentioned he had made related experiences to Synergy prior to now, the criticism mentioned.
The lawsuit cited cracked gear within the engine room and free items of cargo. The ship’s electrical gear was in such poor situation that an impartial company halted additional electrical testing over security issues, the lawsuit mentioned.
The ship additionally suffered energy outages whereas docked in Baltimore. These outages are thought of “reportable maritime casualties” that have to be reported to the U.S. Coast Guard, which authorities say by no means occurred.
The Dali, which was trapped within the rubble of the collapse for months earlier than it might be recovered, freed and refloated, departed from Norfolk, VirginiaThursday afternoon en path to China for the primary worldwide journey because the March 26 catastrophe.
Justice Division officers declined to reply questions Wednesday about whether or not a legal investigation into the bridge collapse was nonetheless ongoing. FBI brokers boarded the Dali in april.
FBI brokers boarded a ship operated by Synergy Marine Group, whose different cargo ship prompted the Baltimore Bridge to break down
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