(TargetDailyNews.com) – A few hours before leaving the Port of Baltimore the Dali, a massive container ship that slammed into a key support of the Francis Scott Key Bridge resulting in its collapse, was experiencing intermittent power failures according to an anonymous official speaking with The Associated Press on Monday, April 14th.
Those power failures will be the subject of an FBI investigation that began on the same day. Federal authorities will scrutinize if any federal laws were violated in the lead-up to the bridge collapse on March 26th. The Dali was laden with $1.1 million in cargo being shipped by Maersk to Sri Lanka.
The collapse resulted in the deaths of six bridge workers. Thankfully, a last-minute mayday allowed police to block traffic at both ends of the bridge preventing a more severe loss of life. Two of the bodies have yet to be recovered as debris is still being cleared from the area.
The anonymous official told AP representatives that alarms on the vessel were indicating a problem with inconsistent power to their refrigeration units while it was still docked in Baltimore. National Transportation Safety Board officials previously indicated their investigation would focus on when power loss began and if there were any indications of problems while the boat was still docked.
Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters last week that their investigation was scrutinizing the electrical system. Video from the incident revealed that the ship lost and regained power before losing it again shortly before it crashed into the bridge pylon.
The FBI’s criminal investigation will focus on whether all federal laws were followed in the lead-up to the accident, according to another person familiar with the investigation.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said that two law firms would be partnering with the city to “hold the wrongdoers responsible” for the accident.
An 1851 maritime law limits legal liability for companies involved in boat accidents to the value of the craft after salvage. Legal filings by Grace Ocean and Synergy (the owners and managers of the Dali, respectively) indicate their desire to limit liability to just $43.6 million.
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