Synergy statement in response to US indictment relating to DALI incident in Baltimore

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Synergy Marine Group has issued the following statement in response to news that criminal charges are being levelled in the US against the ship management company, as well as against the ship’s master, following the allision of the 10,000 TEU class Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March 2024. The Department of Justice is alleging that “reckless cost-cutting” on matters of ship maintenance contributed to the electrical shutdown that caused the accident, where six construction workers tragically died in the resulting bridge collapse.

The full statement by Synergy reads as follows:

“We are surprised and disappointed by the announcement that the U.S. Department of Justice is pursuing criminal charges against Synergy.

DOJ is criminalising a tragic accident. The allegations in the indictment are baseless and have nothing to do with the DALI’s allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The DOJ’s reference to the vessel’s use of the flushing pump is wholly irrelevant to the cause of the allision and runs contrary to the conclusions reached by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board following a comprehensive 20-month maritime accident investigation.

This was a maritime casualty that should be assessed through the full factual, technical and regulatory record, rather than through selective mischaracterisations in a criminal indictment.

The DALI experienced a power loss due to a manufacturer’s latent defect: a loose wire in the ship’s electrical system. When that occurred, the vessel was approximately three ship lengths away from the Francis Scott Key Bridge, transiting at approximately 8.5 knots. Both the NTSB and well-respected maritime experts have conclusively determined that the accident was inevitable due to the loose wire, which was in no way attributable to Synergy’s operation of the vessel.

The NTSB factual reports do not indicate that the probable cause of the allision was because the DALI was out of compliance with any code, law, regulation or rule governing her operation, or with the builder’s recommendations, at the time of the allision. The DALI, and other vessels managed by Synergy, also had a near-flawless Port State Control record in the United States.

DOJ’s allegations are inconsistent with the clear and well-documented findings of the specialist maritime professionals involved in the NTSB investigation.

Synergy will vigorously defend itself against these inaccurate allegations. Synergy and its employees have fully cooperated and have been transparent at all times during the NTSB’s investigation, and any allegations to the contrary are woefully inaccurate.

We are confident that the DOJ cannot and will not meet its burden of proof and that we will prevail at trial.”