U.S. seeks $100 million from owner of ship that destroyed Baltimore bridge

The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking more than $100 million from the Singapore owner and operator of a cargo ship that destroyed a Baltimore bridge.

The 1,000-foot (300-meter) M/V Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, killing six road workers and blocking the busy shipping channel.

The civil suit against Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine Private was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

"The Justice Department is committed to ensuring accountability for those responsible for the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

"With this civil claim, the Justice Department is working to ensure that the costs of clearing the channel and reopening the Port of Baltimore are borne by the companies that caused the crash, not by the American taxpayer."

The Justice Department said the suit is aimed at recovering more than $100 million in costs incurred in responding to the disaster and for removing tons of bridge debris.

The Dali lost power while leaving the port of Baltimore for Sri Lanka and struck the bridge.

Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said the owner and operator of the Dali were "well aware of vibration issues on the vessel that could cause a power outage.

"But instead of taking necessary precautions, they did the opposite.

"Out of negligence, mismanagement, and, at times, a desire to cut costs, they configured the ship's electrical and mechanical systems in a way that prevented those systems from being able to quickly restore propulsion and steering after a power outage," Mizer said.

"As a result, when the Dali lost power, a cascading set of failures led to disaster."

The Justice Department suit comes after Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine filed a legal action of their own earlier this year seeking to limit their liability to $44 million.

The Justice Department lawsuit does not seek damages for the eventual costs of rebuilding the bridge. That is expected to be the subject of a separate claim from the state of Maryland.

The families of the six road workers who lost their lives are also pursuing legal claims of their own.

The Fort McHenry channel leading to the port of Baltimore, a key hub for the auto industry, reopened to commercial navigation on June 10.

© Agence France-Presse