BALTIMORE — Attorneys have filed a request with a federal judge to prevent crew members of the cargo ship Dali from returning to their home countries amid investigations into the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.
Emails included in court filings on Tuesday reveal that eight of the Dali’s crew members were scheduled to leave the ship and return home as early as Thursday. These seafarers, part of a crew totaling about two dozen from India and Sri Lanka, have been onboard since the ship lost power and crashed into a bridge support column shortly after departing Baltimore on March 26.
In their court filings, attorneys representing the City of Baltimore argued that the crew members possess crucial information regarding the events leading up to the incident. They emphasized the need for these individuals to remain in the U.S. to provide depositions in ongoing civil litigation concerning the bridge collapse, which resulted in the deaths of six construction workers and disrupted maritime traffic through Baltimore’s port.
“The crew consists entirely of foreign nationals who have critical knowledge and information about the events giving rise to this litigation,” the attorneys stated. “If they are permitted to leave the United States, Claimants may never have the opportunity to question or depose them.”
The petition also requested an emergency hearing on the matter, though no ruling has been issued yet.
Darrell Wilson, a spokesperson for the ship’s owner, confirmed that some crew members are set to leave. “A portion of the crew are going home and a portion are remaining here to assist with the investigation,” he said via text message, though he could not provide further details on the exact numbers or departure times. The ship is expected to leave Baltimore for Norfolk, Virginia, for more extensive repairs.
The Dali remained stuck amid the wreckage for almost two months while workers cleared the debris from the Patapsco River at Baltimore’s harbor entrance. The crew stayed on board even as explosives were used to dismantle fallen bridge trusses.
The ongoing civil litigation began with a petition from the ship’s owner and manager, two Singapore-based companies, seeking to limit their liability for the disaster. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation found that the ship experienced power outages shortly before leaving Baltimore and lost power again moments before the bridge collapse. The exact cause of the electrical issues is still under investigation.
The FBI has also launched a criminal investigation. According to court filings, the eight crew members scheduled to leave have already been interviewed by Department of Justice investigators, who have not objected to their departure. The crew members are expected to fly out of Baltimore around June 20.
