Baltimore sues owners of ship that crashed into Francis Scott Key Bridge and caused collapse

Baltimore officials filed a lawsuit against the owners and operators of the Dali, which struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month, causing the bridge to collapse and killing six people, seeking damages for the incident.

The filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland from Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and the City Council requests a jury trial against Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. for the damage the deadly bridge collapse has caused the Port of Baltimore.

"At approximately 1:28am, local time, the Dali slammed into the bridge, causing the bridge’s immediate collapse, killing at least six individuals, destroying Baltimore property, and bringing the region’s primary economic engine to a grinding halt. The impact of this disaster will be felt for years, and indeed, for the rest of the lives of the families of the people killed as a result of Petitioners’ conduct," the filing alleges .

"None of this should have happened. Reporting has indicated that, even before leaving port, alarms showing an inconsistent power supply on the Dali had sounded. The Dali left port anyway, despite its clearly unseaworthy condition," the filing continues.

The court filing alleges negligence on the part of the ship's owners and operators for crashing into the bridge. The parties state that before the incident, "no ship had struck the Key Bridge since 1980."

Earlier this month, both the ship's owners and operators filed a petition in the same court to limit liability for the crash and ensuing bridge collapse.

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The bridge collapse is the subject of an FBI investigation, along with a separate National Transportation Safety Board investigation. President Joe Biden and Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) have vowed to hold guilty parties responsible for the bridge collapse.

The bridge collapse killed six construction workers when it collapsed in the early hours of March 26. Four of the six bodies have been recovered from the scene of the collapse.