On Monday (April 15), FBI officials announced that they have launched a criminal investigation into how and why a cargo ship crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge last month, causing it to collapse and ultimately result in death.
RELATED: Baltimore’s Key Bridge Collapses After Ship Crash
The news, first reported by The Washington Post, reveals that federal agents boarded the 985-foot Dali cargo ship early Monday morning with search warrants. FBI officials in Baltimore confirmed the news and said agents were on board “conducting court authorized law enforcement activity.”
According to two senior law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation, the probe will look into the events that took place leading up to the crash, including the time from when the ship left the port. Additionally, a portion of the Baltimore FBI investigation will look into whether or not the crew knew about the vessel having potential mechanical problems prior to the ship crashing into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and causing it to collapse.
RELATED: Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Bodies Of Two Construction Workers Recovered From Submerged Truck
Baltimore FBI agents are seizing any physical evidence and data from inside the vessel relating to the moments before, during, and after the crash and collapse. Meanwhile, Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott also announced on Monday that the city will be taking “legal steps” to address the bridge collapse, adding that law firms are being hired to “launch legal action to hold the wrongdoers responsible and to mitigate the immediate and long-term harm caused to Baltimore City residents.”
In his statement, Mayor Scott said, “The City of Baltimore will take decisive action to hold responsible all entities accountable for the Key Bridge tragedy, including the owner, charterer, manager/operator, and the manufacturer of the M/V Dali, as well as any other potentially liable third parties.”
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As mentioned, the container ship Dali struck one of the piers on the Francis Scott Key Bridge early in the morning of March 26. The crash caused the bridge to collapse, killing six construction workers who were filling potholes on the span of the structure. Two other workers have survived the collapse. There were no injuries reported on the cargo ship, however, several containers fell into the body of water.
Elsewhere, President Joe Biden, who visited the collapse site on April 5, has since promised to fully support Baltimore’s rebuilding efforts. He noted his “intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstruction of that bridge.”
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