ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Maryland Key Bridge Collapse: Indian engineer admits concealing vessel hazard
The case is part of a broader criminal probe into the vessel crash that destroyed Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge.
-
Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 19, Jun 2026
- 17:24 EDT
- 58
Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse / Wikipedia
An Indian engineer who served aboard the cargo vessel Dali that crashed into Maryland’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on June 18 admitted to failing to report a hazardous vessel condition ahead of the crash.
Karthikeyan Deenadayalan, the Dali's chief engineer at the time of the crash, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement and admitted to conduct constituting a criminal violation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland.
Also Read: Indian indicted in Maryland bridge collapse
The March 2024 collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge claimed the lives of six construction workers and emerged as one of the costliest transportation accidents in U.S. history.
Prosecutors said Deenadayalan admitted to being aware that the vessel and its sister ships were using an unsafe fuel supply pump known as a flushing pump. Investigation revealed that the pump lacked redundancy, compromising the vessels' ability to safely navigate and recover from a loss of power.
Deenadayalam further acknowledged that an inability to recover from a power loss could affect the safety of the vessel as well as nearby bridges, structures and shore areas.
The filing also details communications with Synergy personnel, including Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, who was separately charged in the case. According to prosecutors, Nair directed Deenadayalanto to send a "convincing" email to the Dali's charterer regarding fuel consumption to avoid questions that could reveal the use of the flushing pump.
The deferred prosecution agreement follows an indictment unsealed last month charging Synergy Maritime Pvt. Ltd., Synergy Marine Pvt. Ltd. and Nair in connection with the bridge collapse. Prosecutors allege the defendants concealed safety risks associated with the vessel's fuel system and misled investigators following the crash.
Federal authorities said the charges contained in the criminal information are allegations and that a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login