FBI probes crew's awareness in Baltimore bridge collapse inquiry

The FBI has launched a criminal inquiry into the devastating collapse of a Baltimore bridge, which claimed the lives of six construction workers. According to a report on Daily Mail, the investigation aims to ascertain whether the crew of the Dali, the cargo ship involved, was aware of significant issues before departing from the Maryland port on March 26.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced plans to engage external firms to hold all responsible parties accountable for the Key Bridge tragedy, occurring just three weeks after the shocking incident in which a 110,000-ton cargo ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The investigation, overseen by the US District Attorney's office in Maryland, will focus on the crew's awareness of the ship's problems.

Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a separate federal investigation, initially focusing on the ship's electrical power system. Collaborating with Hyundai, the ship's equipment manufacturer, investigators are examining its circuit breakers.

The Dali, laden with cargo bound for Sri Lanka, struck a bridge support column, causing the bridge to collapse into the Patapsco River and resulting in six fatalities. Divers have recovered three bodies, with three others still missing.

Efforts to extract sections of the fallen bridge are ongoing, with plans to open a temporary shipping channel by late April to restore port access.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore stressed the complexity of the recovery efforts and called for bipartisan congressional support to fund the construction of a new bridge.

Federal safety investigators are conducting interviews and expect to release a preliminary report on the crash soon. Initial findings suggest the incident was accidental.

The timeline leading up to the crash indicates that alarms sounded shortly after the Dali's departure, followed by steering commands and loss of power as it approached the bridge. While police managed to halt traffic, there wasn't sufficient time to alert the construction workers, resulting in tragedy.

[With information sourced from Daily Mail]