BALTIMORE — The City of Baltimore is taking legal action against the entities it says are responsible for the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and the FBI has opened an investigation in disaster.
The bridge collapsed almost three weeks ago after its support column was struck by a defective cargo in the early morning hours of March 26, sending eight construction workers into the Patapsco River below, killing six of them.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced Monday that the city has partnered with two leading law firms to pursue legal action against those responsible for the tragedy, including the owner, charterer, operator , the manufacturer and other parts of the vessel.
The mayor said the effort was intended to mitigate immediate and long-term harm to Baltimore residents, such as the victims’ families, Port of Baltimore workers and those who used the bridge daily. It is not clear what the amount of damages requested by the city will be.
“We continue to do everything we can to support everyone affected here and will continue to recognize the human impact of this event,” the mayor said in a statement. “Part of this work must involve seeking recourse from those who may be responsible, as well as from the vessel owner. file a motion to limit liability Just days after the incident, we must act just as quickly to protect the City’s interests. »
Dali owner wants to avoid liability
The Dali is owned by Grace Ocean Private, a Singapore-based company that provides water transportation services and is managed by Synergy Marine Group, a Singapore-based charter company with more than 660 vessels under technical management, according to its website.
Perhaps anticipating a wave of lawsuits, Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine Group took steps about a week after the collapse to limit their liability for the accident.
In a six-page pretrial brief filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, the companies cited the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, in which a shipowner can attempt to limit the amount it must pay if its vessel is involved in an accident; this limit would be equal to the value of the vessel.
The filing indicates that the pending cargo at the time of the voyage was estimated at $1.17 million.
The ship was chartered by Danish shipping giant Maersk at the time of the incident.
FBI opens investigation into bridge collapse
Federal law enforcement authorities are investigating what caused the Key Bridge collapse, according to two people familiar with the matter. The FBI said it currently has agents on the Dali, which is still at the crash site, but provided no further information.
“The FBI is present aboard the freighter Dali and is conducting court-authorized law enforcement activities,” the agency said. “There is no further public information available and we will have no further comment.”
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland and the FBI. The Washington Post was first to report news of the federal investigation.
In a statement Monday, Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek Barron said, “In general, my office will not confirm or comment on the existence of investigations. fraud or any other threat to public safety or property, we will hold accountable anyone who may be responsible.
Lawyers for the company that owns the Dali did not immediately respond to CBS News’ request for comment.
What caused the bridge to collapse?
Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board told Congress last week The agency is focusing on the ship’s electrical system in its investigation into the accident. The NTSB investigation appears to be separate from that of the FBI.
An unclassified memo released by CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, says the ship reported lost propulsion at the time of the accident.
The NTSB identified Hyundai as the manufacturer of the ship’s power and braking system. The agency expects the preliminary report on the collapse to be released by the first week of May.
The agency also interviews the ship’s crew, examines the voyage data recorder and evaluates the bridge design.
Rescue and recovery efforts continue
Dozens of containers are removed from the cargo ship Dali as rescue operations continue. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is leading the rescue effort, is prioritizing cleaning the Fort McHenry Canal in order to resume operations in Baltimore Harbor.
Removing the container is essential to moving the pinned ship, which has tons of mangled steel on its bow. Engineers aim to remove 178 containers to refloat the Dali.
Two temporary passages were created for small commercial and essential vessels and barges. At least 69 ships have used these canals. A third, deeper channel is expected to open this month, allowing most ships to enter the port.
Two bodies remain missing after the collapse.
So far, teams have found the bodies of Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, 35, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, 26, as well as another man who was found Sunday and who has not yet been found. be identified.
The men were repairing potholes on the bridge when it collapsed and they were thrown into the river.