Criminal case opened in Baltimore bridge collapse after FBI investigates ship that crashed carrying hazardous material
THE FBI has opened a criminal investigation into the cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The Dali, a 985-foot Singapore-flagged ship, slammed into one of the support pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, killing six construction workers who were making road repairs at the time.
Federal agents were seen boarding the cargo vessel, which has been docked at the crash site since the incident, on Monday with a search warrant, according to The Washington Post.
The probe will look into the events that led up to the ship's collision with the bridge, including when the vessel left the Port of Baltimore, sources told the outlet.
A part of the investigation will also look into whether the crew had prior knowledge that the Dali had potential mechanical issues that would have made it dangerous in the harbor.
The catastrophic event was captured on a live stream moments after the ship left the Baltimore port as it set sail on its 27-day voyage to Sri Lanka.
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Within minutes, the massive cargo vessel was seen losing power before it crashed into one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The immediate impact caused the bridge to snap and collapse into the Patapsco River below.
The video showed a row of cars and trucks plunge 184 feet into the bone-chilling waters.
A team of eight construction workers were making road repairs and filling potholes on the bridge when it collapsed.
Six of the eight crew members fell into the water and died.
The men were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Miguel Luna, Maynor Suazo Sandoval, Jose Lopez, and Carlos Hernandez.
All six victims were Latino immigrants hailing from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
The two workers recovered from the wreckage were identified as Alejandro Fuentes, 35, from Mexico, and Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, 26, from Guatemala.
The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.
Emergency teams began clearing the Port of Baltimore from debris five days after the tragic event.
A 1,000-ton capacity lift crane and a 600-ton capacity crane were brought in for the job, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said.
The Dali, which was carrying 56 containers of hazardous material, including highly flammable chemicals, weighed 213 million pounds before the collision.
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President Joe Biden vowed the federal government would pay for the bridge's rebuild.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the collapse.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed after a cargo ship bound for Asia smashed into one of its support pillars:
- On the morning of March 26, the Dali, a 985-foot Singapore-flagged ship, left the Baltimore port as it set sail on its 27-day voyage to Sri Lanka.
- Within minutes, the massive cargo vessel experienced power outages as it crashed into one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
- The immediate impact caused the bridge to snap and tumble into the Patapsco River.
- A team of eight construction workers were making road repairs and filling in potholes on the bridge at the time of the incident.
- Six of the eight workmen who fell into the waters died.
- The victims were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Miguel Luna, Maynor Suazo Sandoval, Jose Lopez, and Carlos Hernandez - all of whom were Latino immigrants hailing from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
- The two workers recovered from the wreckage were identified as Alejandro Fuentes, 35, from Mexico, and Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, 26, from Guatemala.
- The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.
- President Joe Biden vowed the federal government would pay for the bridge's rebuild.