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The operator of the Dali container ship and a senior employee were charged in connection with the May 12, 2026 announcement tied to the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge crash that killed six people in March 2024, according to federal prosecutors. The charges allege decisions made by the operator leading up to and after the crash, more than two years after the ship lost propulsion and steering and struck the bridge.
Federal and state investigations and multiple legal proceedings followed the early-morning collision, beginning with a mayday call and emergency response in the minutes before the bridge was hit. The Dali left the Port of Baltimore shortly after midnight March 26, 2024, traveling under a Singapore flag, and investigators later focused on the ship’s reported electrical and power issues in the lead-up to the crash.
The timeline published by The Associated Press places the key failure moments between 1:25 a.m. and 1:28 a.m., when the ship lost power and its crew issued a mayday call as it approached the bridge at about 9 mph (15 kph). The AP report also says police officers had about 90 seconds to stop traffic from driving onto the bridge in both directions.
Around 1:29 a.m., the ship rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, striking a support and plunging it into the river within seconds, AP said. The crash triggered an extensive recovery and stabilization effort, and federal investigators began collecting evidence from the ship the next day, March 27, 2024.
Work to remove wreckage started shortly afterward as officials and engineers moved toward divers’ search and efforts to restore shipping options. On March 30, 2024, the AP timeline describes teams of engineers and floating cranes removing the first piece of steel wreckage, as part of a long process to stabilize the site and open alternate shipping channels for the Baltimore port.
In court filings shortly afterward, the AP report says the ship’s owner and operator sought to limit legal liability. On April 1, 2024, Grace Ocean Private Ltd., identified as the ship’s owner, and Synergy Marine PTE Ltd., identified as the ship’s operator, filed a petition to limit their legal liability.
By May 7, 2024, the AP timeline says the body of the sixth missing construction worker was recovered. The report also identifies the victims as Latino immigrants working an overnight shift filling potholes on the bridge.
Federal officials issued preliminary findings later, including discussion of electrical blackouts while the ship was docked in Baltimore. On May 14, 2024, AP says investigators released preliminary findings related to the ship’s electrical blackouts while it was docked, but stopped short of stating they were related to another power loss in the moments before the crash.
By September 2024, the AP timeline describes National Transportation Safety Board documents showing investigators found a loose cable in a transformer and breaker system that crew members had switched on before departing the Baltimore port. On Sept. 18, federal officials filed a lawsuit accusing the ship’s owner and operator of ignoring known electrical problems and seeking to collect $100 million, with Maryland and a group of Baltimore longshoremen also filing claims tied to losses tied to the port closure.
Cleanup-related settlements followed. On Oct. 24, 2024, the AP timeline says the owner and operator agreed to pay more than $102 million in cleanup costs to settle a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department.
As officials planned replacement of the bridge, the AP timeline records major steps in design and cost projections. Maryland officials unveiled designs for a new bridge on Feb. 4, 2025, projecting a cost of $1.9 billion, while federal investigators later said March 20, 2025 that Maryland’s transportation agency had not completed a recommended vulnerability assessment of the bridge before its collapse.
The cost range then rose again, according to AP. On Nov. 17, 2025, Maryland officials more than doubled the estimated cost, forecasting replacement at between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, and said the bridge was not expected to reopen until late 2030.
The timeline also describes findings by federal investigators about the cause of the blackout and the possibility crew members could have identified an issue earlier. On Nov. 18, 2025, AP says the National Transportation Safety Board said the blackout that led the ship to lose propulsion and steering before it crashed was caused by a loose electrical wire, and that investigators believed the crew might have discovered the loose wire ahead of time using infrared thermal imaging.
In April 2026, AP says the ship’s owner and operator said they were making settlement agreements with Maryland and ACE American Insurance Co., including a $350 million settlement with the insurer that matched the amount ACE paid to Maryland and reflected the limit of the state’s policy. On May 12, 2026, AP says federal prosecutors announced criminal charges against the operator and a senior employee accused of making decisions that led to the crash and covering up what happened.
Also that day, Maryland’s attorney general disclosed the amount of a previously announced settlement between the state and the ship’s owner and operator: $2.24 billion, AP reported.