Baltimore Bridge Collision: Crew Stuck for 3 Months Finally Disembarks, 8 Indians Head Home

June 22, Baltimore:
 Eight crew members have departed for India with just a small number of crew members aboard the MV Dali cargo ship, three months following her power loss and collision with a Baltimore bridge. Twenty Indians and one Sri Lankan have been on board since the 984-foot vessel lost power, swung off course, and sank the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26. Two investigations, one by the National Transportation Safety Board and one by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, are still ongoing into the tragedy that killed six bridge construction workers.

Baltimore City asked the federal government to retain the crew members on Wednesday in a motion they filed. However, the judge authorised the compromise that would let eight Indians go home later on Thursday following a court hearing. There are no officers among the eight crew members who are eligible.

They consist of multiple seamen, a cook, a fitter, and an oiler. A agreement was struck that permitted the eight members to leave the United States, and they will soon be in India, where they will be able to conduct interviews connected to the litigation. It is possible that the lawsuit surrounding the crash could take over a year to conclude, so all officers and remaining crewmembers of the ship are expected to remain in the United States until then.

An individual informed of the situation said that the ship's tentative departure time is this coming Friday night for Norfolk, Virginia. The 13 crew members, the majority of whom are Indian, have been relocated to service apartments in Baltimore. They will remain in the US permanently. In due course, the four-person crew will disembark and head back to the service flats.

Investigations are continuing to identify potential culprits, however no crew members have been charged in relation to the tragedy. A legal action will be announced by the mayor of Baltimore in order to "hold the wrongdoers responsible." The Dali, a commercial vessel in route from Baltimore Harbour to Sri Lanka, suffered a power outage in March and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, leading to its collapse. Joe Biden, president of the United States, visited Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge on April 5 and promised to "move heaven and Earth" to have it rebuilt.