Baltimore accuses DEI-captive manager and owner of Dali of negligence over demolition of Key Bridge
The City of Baltimore recently blasted the owner and manager of the ship that wrought havoc in Maryland last month, stressing not only that they were negligent and their ship was "unseaworthy" but that they should be denied their proposed liability cap.
The Dali, a 984-foot vessel owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and managed by the DEI-captive Synergy Marine Group, rammed into one of the piers holding up the historic Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, killing six people including a beloved father of three.
Were it not for the heroism and quick work of several Baltimore police officers, many more lives would likely have been lost when the steel arch-shaped truss bridge that had long extended Americans 1.6 miles over the Patapsco River came crashing down.
In addition to lives lost, the horrific incident crippled the port — the second-busiest port in the mid-Atlantic. Even today, the ruins of the bridge have limited commercial activity to roughly 15% of the port's pre-collapse level.
While emergency crews were frantically searching for bodies in the harbor's frigid waters just days after the collision, the companies that own and manage the ship requested that they have their liabilities limited with regards to the fatal incident.
The City of Baltimore made clear in court documents filed this week in the U.S. District Court in Maryland that the companies' requested $43.6 million liability cap "is substantially less than the amount that will be claimed for losses and damages arising out of the Dali's allision with the Key Bridge."
The city further underscored the companies were "grossly and potentially criminally negligent," reported Axios.
The city made clear in court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Maryland that the ship's owner and manager "are not entitled to limit their liability in the instant case because, at all times relevant to this litigation, the Dali was operated in a willful, wanton, and reckless manner."
The city further claimed that Grace Ocean Private and the Synergy Marine Group knew that the 110,000-ton Dali to be "unseaworthy" for, among other things,
- failing to properly train the crew,
- failing to follow safe work and operational procedures,
- failing to properly maintain the vessel and its appurtenances,
- failing to properly equip the vessel,
- failing to conduct adequate inspections of the vessel and it appurtenances,
- failing to properly supervise the work with competent employees,
- failing to provide a competent crew and safe equipment,
- improper management of the Dali and/or her crew, and/or
- other failure, acts, or omissions of the petitioners and of the Dali that may be shown at trial.
Just hours prior to leaving port, the Dali — which also collided with the stone pier in the Port of Antwerp in 2016 — had experienced electrical problems, a person with knowledge of the situation recently told the Associated Press.
Alarms on some of the ship's refrigerated containers apparently had gone off, suggestive of an inconsistent flow of power. Nevertheless, the Dali's masters carried on with their attempt to reach open waters — an attempt interrupted by another apparent loss of power, which sent them careening into a critical pier.
While the Synergy Marine Group allegedly failed to execute the basic functions of a ship manager, it evidently has other top priorities.
Synergy Marine Group states on its website that "issues related to diversity are a high priority at Synergy. We realize that the benefits of diversity are best achieved by fostering greater inclusion and belonging."
Whereas the City of Baltimore indicated an understanding Monday that success on the company's part would be characterized by not getting people killed and paralyzing a major port, Synergy Marine Group indicated its goal is a "workplace that is truly characterized by inclusion and belonging."
A jury trial might be the company's next stop on its "DEI journey in building an innovative and sustainable maritime sector which all can be proud of."
Extra to the city seeking to hold the companies financially accountable, it appears there may also be criminal charges on the horizon. After all, the FBI recently launched a criminal probe into the bridge collapse.
The Washington Post indicated that a spokesman for the two companies declined to comment on the investigations and legal proceedings underway.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Prepare For A Slow, Spendy Baltimore Bridge Rebuild That Doesn’t Satisfy Anybody
Engineering priorities have become secondary to other interests, which is why we cannot have nice things quickly at a reasonable cost.Another massive cargo ship loses control while leaving an American harbor — this time halted before bridge
A massive container ship attempting to leave the waters around New York City Friday reportedly suffered a similar issue to that experienced by the vessel that tragically brought the historic Francis Scott Key Bridge crashing into Baltimore Harbor late last month.
Unlike the Singapore-flagged Dali, the propulsion problem suffered by the APL Qingdao did not ultimately prove to be calamitous.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed to the New York Post that the APL Qingdao, a 1,145-foot, 89,000-ton ship flying under the Malta flag, lost propulsion around 8:30 p.m. while sailing along the shipping lane between Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey.
According to John Konrad, a maritime journalist and the CEO of gCaptain, the three tugboats that had been escorting the ship down the 3-mile Kill Van Kull waterway were aided by another three in an effort to bring the ship under control.
The ship subsequently dropped anchor just north of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
BREAKING: A NY tugboat captain has reported to @gCaptain \u201ccontainer ship APL QINGDAO lost power while transiting New York harbor. They had 3 escort tugs but 3 more were needed to bring her under control. They regained power & were brought to anchor near the verrazano bridge\u201d— (@)
"Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service New York received a report from the M/V APL Qingdao around 8:30pm, Friday, that the vessel had experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull waterway," the Coast Guard said in a statement obtained by the Post.
"The vessel regained propulsion and was assisted to safely anchor in Stapleton Anchorage, outside of the navigable channel just north of the Verrazano Bridge, by three towing vessels," continued the statement. "These towing vessels were escorting the vessel as a routine safety measure, which is a common practice for large vessels departing their berth."
Prior to leaving, the crew had to submit a casualty report accounting for what caused the loss of power. CBS News noted that repairs were also made to the ship's system following the incident.
At the time of publication, VesselFinder indicated that the ship had successfully made its way out of the New York harbor and was nearing its destination of Norfolk, Virginia.
Staten Island Assemblyman Charles Fall (D) told SILive.com, "While the swift response by tugboats to secure the vessel prevented immediate harm, this incident further highlights the urgent need for comprehensive safety reviews of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the Goethals Bridge, the Bayonne Bridge, and the Outerbridge Crossing."
"The recent disaster at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland is a harrowing reminder of what could happen if we fail to prioritize the integrity of our infrastructure," added Fall.
BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse— (@)
Two weeks after power outages and a propulsion problem allegedly sent the container ship Dali crashing into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, divers continue to search for bodies. At least six people are believed to be dead.
Officials announced Friday that they had recovered the body of a third victim, 38-year-old Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, reported the Independent.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicated that a new channel will be ready for use by month's end, enabling ships to enter and leave the second-busiest port in the mid-Atlantic.
Gov. Wes Moore (D) told CBS News' "Face the Nation" that maritime operations in the Port of Baltimore could be functional as early as May.
March was apparently a bad month for American bridges and boats.
A bridge over the Arkansas River south of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was also struck by a boat late last month. Despite a powerful thwacking sound, there was minimal damage and no casualties.
The Associated Press reported that a barge struck a pier holding Highway 59 over the river on March 30. After a brief road closure, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation indicated that the structure was subsequently deemed sound by engineers and safe to transit.
Barge crashes into the Arkansas River Bridge in Oklahoma— (@)
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Pete Buttigieg, Worst Transportation Secretary Ever, Hints He Won’t Run For Office Again
Mayor Pete’s ideal for presidential work ethic is the geezer who has napped his way through office? Exhausting.
www.theblaze.com