In Baltimore Bridge Accident Case U.S. Files Criminal Charges Against Dali Ship Manager and Indian Superintendent

They have been charged with conspiracy, wilfully failing to immediately inform U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and false statements

· The United States Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against:

o Synergy Marine Group

o Synergy Maritime

o Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair

· The charges relate to the March 2024 collision involving the container ship MV Dali and a bridge in Baltimore.

Charges Filed

The accused face allegations including:

· Conspiracy

· Failure to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard about a known hazardous condition

· Obstruction of an agency proceeding

· False statements

· Pollution-related offences

Background of the Incident

· Synergy Marine Group managed the Dali vessel, which was operated by a predominantly Indian crew.

· The accident caused the death of six construction workers.

· The United States Department of Justice estimated total economic losses from the disaster at nearly $5 billion.

Earlier Settlement

· In October 2024, Synergy and ship owner Grace Ocean Private Limited agreed to pay nearly $102 million to settle a related civil claim filed by U.S. authorities.

Cause of the Collision

· Investigators linked the collision to two onboard electrical blackouts:

o The first blackout was allegedly caused by a loose electrical wire that snapped.

o Power was reportedly restored automatically after the first failure.

o The second blackout allegedly occurred because an inappropriate fuel pump was used for the generators, causing fuel starvation and engine failure.

· The second blackout reportedly led to:

o Loss of power

o Loss of steering control

o Collision with the bridge

Allegations by U.S. Authorities

· U.S. prosecutors alleged that information regarding the faulty fuel pump was concealed during the investigation.

· Authorities also accused the defendants of making false statements during official inquiries.

[ABS News Service/13.05.2026]

The U.S. Justice Department has slapped criminal cases against Synergy Marine of Singapore and Synergy Maritime of Chennai, as well as Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, the Indian technical superintendent of container ship Dali, which collided with a bridge in Baltimore, U.S., in March 2024. They have been charged with conspiracy, wilfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and false statements, as well as pollution.

Synergy is the manager of Dali, manned almost entirely by an Indian crew. Synergy and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the owner of the ship, had agreed to pay nearly $102 million in October, 2024, to resolve a civil claim brought by the department on this matter.

The Justice Department has alleged an economic loss of $5 billion due to the accident that led to the death of six construction workers.

The collision was largely due to two onboard blackouts. The first blackout was allegedly caused by a loose electrical wire that snapped. But Dali recovered power automatically from the first blackout. The second blackout was allegedly due to the use of an inappropriate fuel pump for the generators, which became starved of fuel and conked out, leading to loss of power and steering that caused the collision. The Justice department has alleged that information regarding the pump was concealed and false statements were made during the inquiry.