The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
The investigation is focusing on the circumstances leading up to the incident and whether all federal laws were followed by the crew of the ship responsible.
ABC News cites a source who says the bureau is investigating any potential criminal wrongdoing, centered on whether any crew members knew of any issues the ship may have had before leaving port.
The report seems to suggest some concerns over potential negligence when, on March 26th, the massive Dali container ship lost power and struck a support column of the bridge, causing it to collapse.
The tragic event resulted in the deaths of six workers.
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FBI Now Investigating Baltimore Bridge Collapse
This probe is separate from the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation. The NTSB is primarily looking into how the ship lost power and collided with the bridge.
The FBI has been present aboard the cargo ship Dali conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity. The agency has not commented further on the investigation.
🚨 #BREAKING: FBI OPENS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 15, 2024
The probe will reportedly in part be looking into whether the crew left the port KNOWING the vessel had “serious systems problems,” according to two U.S. officials.
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The Daily Mail indicates that the crew remains onboard as FBI agents were seen arriving at the ship earlier today.
They are reportedly investigating “whether the 22-strong crew of the Dali knew it had serious systemic issues before they left the Maryland port.”
There is no indication that the criminal investigation into the Baltimore bridge collapse involves any intentional acts by the crew. Nor is there any indication they are looking into hacking of the ship’s systems.
Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott is also calling in outside firms to “hold responsible all entities accountable for the Key Bridge tragedy.”
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Impact Of The Bridge Collapse
The Port of Baltimore, where the bridge is located, is a significant commuter port. It is one of the busiest in the United States.
Early reports suggested that the collapse would result in nearly $15 million in daily economic activity being lost due to the incident.
Rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge after its collapse could take anywhere from 18 months to several years.
The cost of rebuilding is estimated to be at least $400 million but could be more than twice that amount.
The timeline and cost depend on various factors. Those factors include the design of the new bridge, the efficiency of government officials in navigating the bureaucracy of approving permits and awarding contracts, and the speed of debris removal and channel clearance for maritime traffic to resume.
President Biden visited the site of the bridge collapse in early April and said taxpayers would foot the bill.
During his visit, Biden said it is his “intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstruction of that bridge.”
The criminal probe will be overseen by the US District Attorney’s office in Maryland, according to the Daily Mail.
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