- The investigation will be overseen by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Maryland
The FBI has launched a criminal investigation into the Baltimore bridge collapse that killed six construction workers last month.
The investigation will be overseen by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland and focus on whether the Dali’s 22 crew members left port knowing the ship had serious systemic problems. Washingtonpost reported on Monday.
During the early stages of a separate federal investigation into the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, investigators are focusing on the power system of the massive container ship that veered off course.
Jennifer Homendy, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said her agency is collecting data with help from Hyundai, the manufacturer of equipment in the ship’s engine room. Testifying before a U.S. Senate committee, she said investigators have also asked for help investigating the circuit breakers.
“That’s what our focus is now in this investigation,” she said. ‘That is of course temporary. It could be different paths, different paths as we continue this research.”
Homendy said they examined the electrical system. The ship experienced power problems shortly before the crash, as evidenced by videos showing the lights going off and coming back on.
The FBI has launched a criminal investigation into the Baltimore bridge collapse that killed six construction workers
Investigators are also examining the bridge’s design and how it could be built with better pier protection “to current standards,” Homendy said.
The container ship Dali was leaving Baltimore laden with cargo and headed to Sri Lanka when it struck one of the bridge’s support columns last month, causing the span to collapse into the Patapsco River and sending six members of a roadwork crew plunging to their deaths. .
Divers have recovered three bodies from the underwater wreckage, while the remaining three victims are still missing.
Crews have been working to free portions of the fallen bridge, including those that were tangled in a muddy mess at the bottom of the Patapsco River.
“This work is remarkably complex,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore said at a news conference last week.
