While denying responsibility for the disaster, ship management company Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean, the owners of the Singapore-flagged cargo ship carrying 22 Indian crew members that struck a US bridge in March, have reached an “agreement” with the US government on cost reimbursement.
In March of this year, the container ship ‘DALI’, carrying 22 crew members who were all Indian, struck one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Before the crash that caused the bridge to fall, the crew had issued a mayday call, which prompted authorities to restrict traffic flow.
The statement claims that Grace Ocean and Synergy are ready to prove they were not at fault for the occurrence and to mount a strong defense in the limitation of liability proceedings currently pending before the Federal Court in Baltimore.
Additionally, according to Synergy Marine Group, “no punitive damages have been imposed as part of settlement.” “In accordance with the settlement, the United States has dismissed its claim,” added the statement.
The event occurred when a cargo ship carrying two pilots outbound from Baltimore to Colombo collided with one of the bridge’s supports. The bridge crumbled and crashed on the cargo ship shortly after the incident.
According to the company, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean have taken steps to support the well-being of the crew members who disembarked from the vessel. The 11 crew members who disembarked in Baltimore and Norfolk in June 2024 are staying in serviced apartments in Baltimore.
The US authorities authorized the return of one crew member to India for a family event. This crew member, who is anticipated to return to the US in mid-November, was also given an extension by the US authorities to help with the ongoing inquiry, according to Synergy Marine.
Additionally, according to the firm, two other crew members who received permission from the US government to return to India for family reasons have joined their US-based counterparts.
