Cargo ship Dali crew members allowed to return home amid investigations

The crew members of the cargo ship Dali, which collided with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, will be allowed to return home under an agreement that requires them to be available for depositions in ongoing investigations into the bridge collapse. The crew, comprised of foreign nationals from India and Sri Lanka, had been unable to leave the U.S. since the incident on March 26. Attorneys representing the City of Baltimore had initially requested that the crew members remain in the country to be deposed in civil litigation regarding the responsibility for costs and damages resulting from the tragedy.

The court filings revealed that some crew members had already been interviewed by Department of Justice investigators, leading the department to allow them to depart. However, attorneys expressed concerns that if the crew were to leave the U.S., claimants may never have the opportunity to depose them. The ongoing civil litigation, which is expected to be a costly and complex maritime case, aims to determine accountability for the bridge collapse that resulted in six deaths and halted maritime traffic through Baltimore’s busy port.

The ship’s owner’s spokesperson stated that some crew members would remain in the U.S. to assist with the investigation, while others were scheduled to leave. The ship had remained grounded amid the wreckage for almost two months before being freed for repairs. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the electrical failures on the ship, which led to the collision with the bridge. The FBI has also launched a criminal investigation into the incident.

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