Our Bureau
Washington
The crew of 20 Indians and a Sri Lankan of the container vessel Dali that collided with the Baltimore bridge last week is “busy with their normal duties” and will remain on board until the investigation into the accident is completed, according to the company that owns the vessel. The 984-foot cargo ship was bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The container vessel Dali collided with the 2.6-km-long four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River in Baltimore.
The spokesperson of Grace Ocean Pte and Synergy Marine stated that they are not sure how long the investigation would take and till the time the process is complete, the crew will remain on board. Non-profit organization Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center had confirmed earlier that the crew on board Dali was ‘healthy’.
Just minutes before colliding with the bridge, there was a total blackout on the ship, indicating that the vessel lost engine power and electrical power, according to US media reports.
US authorities began questioning the Dali crew last week. The officials, on Wednesday last week, collected documents, voyage data recorder extracts and other evidence as part of the investigation. One crew member had reported a minor injury and was subsequently treated and discharged from a hospital.
