Federal prosecutors have filed the first criminal charges in the 2024 collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, which killed six construction workers. The indictment, unsealed Tuesday, accuses Synergy Marine, a Singapore- and India-based shipping company, and its technical superintendent, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, of conspiracy to defraud the U.S., failing to report hazardous conditions, making false statements, and obstructing a federal investigation.
The charges stem from the March 26, 2024, crash of the MV Dali, which lost power and struck the bridge. Prosecutors allege the defendants improperly used a "flushing pump" to supply diesel to generators instead of the vessel's proper fuel pumps. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) previously determined the crash was caused by two onboard power outages, including one linked to a loose wire in the ship's switchboard.
The indictment also accuses Nair of lying to NTSB investigators about his knowledge of the flushing pump's use. The bridge's replacement is expected to cost billions and take until the end of the decade. Synergy Marine and Nair have not yet responded to requests for comment.