Indian Crew on Ship That Collided with US Bridge to Stay Onboard Till Investigation is Over

GG News Bureau
New York, 2nd April. The crew of 20 Indians and a Sri Lankan on the container vessel that crashed into a key Baltimore bridge last week are continuing with their regular duties and will stay on board until the investigation into the accident is finished.

A spokesperson from Grace Ocean Pte and Synergy Marine confirmed that there are 21 crew members on board. They are working on their usual tasks on the ship and assisting the National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard investigators. The crew is on the container vessel Dali, which collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26.

It is uncertain how long the crew will need to remain on board the ship as the investigation process is ongoing. The Singapore-flagged Dali is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and managed by the Synergy Marine Group. The Indian crew on board has been reported as healthy by the Baltimore International Seafarers Center.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in Delhi stated that there were 20 Indians on board Dali and that the Indian embassy in Washington is closely monitoring the situation. US authorities have started interviewing personnel on board Dali as part of the investigation.

Grace Ocean and Synergy have confirmed the safety of all crew members and two pilots on the vessel. They mentioned one minor injury, which has been treated and the crew member discharged from the hospital. Unfortunately, six construction workers on the bridge are presumed dead, with two bodies recovered and a search ongoing for the remaining four.

US President Joe Biden praised the crew on board Dali for alerting transportation personnel about losing control of the vessel, which allowed authorities to close the bridge and prevent further casualties.