Key facts
- Chief engineer Karthikeyan Deenadayalan was charged with violating the Port and Waterways Safety Act.
- Prosecutors allege Deenadayalan failed to notify the U.S. Coast Guard about an improper fuel pump without a backup system.
- The ship lost power twice before striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024.
- The incident resulted in the deaths of six construction workers.
- The ship's operator and another employee were previously indicted on criminal charges in May.
- A deferred prosecution agreement has been filed in court.
Prosecutors have filed a criminal charge against the chief engineer of the cargo ship involved in the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. Karthikeyan Deenadayalan was charged in U.S. District Court in Maryland with one count of violating the federal Port and Waterways Safety Act, accused of failing to notify the U.S. Coast Guard that an improper fuel pump without a backup system was being used to power the ship’s generators.
Prosecutors also filed notice of a deferred prosecution agreement, though details of the terms were not provided. The Dali, the container ship in question, lost power twice in the minutes before it struck a supporting column of the bridge on March 26, 2024, leading to its collapse and the deaths of six construction workers. Investigators believe a loose wire in a switchboard caused the first power loss, leading to steering failure, and the improper fuel pump contributed to a second blackout.
The ship's operator, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., and its technical superintendent, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, were previously indicted on criminal charges in May. They face accusations of conspiracy, misconduct causing death, failing to inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a hazardous condition, obstructing the National Transportation Safety Board, and making false statements. A trial for these charges is scheduled for October 2027.
In April, a $2.25 billion settlement was announced between the state of Maryland, Synergy Marine, and the ship owner, Grace Ocean Private Limited. A federal judge recently agreed to postpone a civil trial over the collapse after most remaining claims, including those related to the deaths of the construction workers, were resolved.