Washington [US], October 25: The US Department of Justice has reached a $100 million settlement with two companies that owned and operated a container ship that crashed into a major bridge in Maryland in March.
The 300-meter-long M/V Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland , USA, early on the morning of March 26, killing six road workers and affecting the busy shipping lane, according to AFP.
Singaporean companies Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited will pay nearly $102 million to settle civil claims alleging that cost-cutting and negligence in ship maintenance led to the fatal collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, according to a settlement announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on October 24.
When the US Justice Department filed the civil lawsuit last month, it said the large financial penalty would cover the cost of a months-long effort to clear the debris - about 50,000 tons of steel, concrete and asphalt - from the water so the Port of Baltimore could be reopened, according to CNN.
The Justice Department said the payment from the October 24 settlement will go to the Treasury and the budgets of several federal agencies directly affected by the accident or involved in the response. The Justice Department said the money will not cover any costs for rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The city of Baltimore has filed a separate lawsuit against two Singaporean companies, and the families of three of the victims have said they intend to sue. In addition, CNN reported that the FBI has opened a criminal investigation into whether the crew of the M/V Dali failed to report the incident earlier, which led to the delay in their departure.
Analysts say the M/V Dali collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge could cost insurers billions of dollars, with some estimating it could reach $4 billion, a record for global shipping insurance.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper