In the early hours of March 26, 2024, the Singapore-flagged containership Dali lost power shortly after departing the Port of Baltimore and struck a support pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the bridge's main structure to rapidly collapse and tragically killing six construction workers who were on the bridge at the time. Over two years on from one of the most serious maritime disasters in recent US history, criminal accountability proceedings continue to unfold.

It was previously reported that on June 15, local time, federal prosecutors in the US District Court for the District of Maryland filed criminal charges against the Dali's Chief Engineer, Karthikeyan Deenadayalan. The 46-year-old Indian national had served as the vessel's chief engineer since January 2024. In the latest development, the US Department of Justice has announced that Mr. Deenadayalan has reached a deferred prosecution agreement with prosecutors. The chief engineer has admitted that he knew of hazardous conditions on board the vessel prior to the incident but failed to report them to the US Coast Guard as required, in violation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act.

According to court documents, Mr. Deenadayalan admitted that the Dali and its sister vessels, Maersk Saltoro and Cezanne, all utilised an unsafe fuel oil supply configuration involving a flushing pump. Prosecutors noted that the flushing pump lacked a redundant design—unlike the conventional fuel oil supply pumps, it could not automatically restart after a loss of power. This meant that in the event of an electrical failure, the vessel would be unable to promptly restore propulsion. Mr. Deenadayalan acknowledged that he knew such a failure could endanger not only the ship itself but also "any bridge, structure, or shore-side area," yet still failed to report it to the Coast Guard.

Under the terms of the deferred prosecution agreement, Mr. Deenadayalan will face a 36-month probationary period. If he strictly complies with the terms of the agreement, the criminal charges will not be formally prosecuted.