FBI launches investigation into cargo ship after alleged ‘electrical problems’

The FBI has reportedly launched a criminal investigation into the large container ship that caused the Francis Scott Key Bridge to collapse in Baltimore.

The bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River in Maryland on March 26, killing six bridge workers.

The FBI has launched a federal criminal investigation, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

The investigation will focus at least in part on the cargo ship Dali and whether its crew left Baltimore Harbor knowing the ship had serious problems with its systems, the Post reported.

Authorities will investigate the events leading up to the moment the Dali struck one of the bridge’s support pillars, anonymous officials told The Washington Post.

A source told the Associated Press that the Dali appeared to have experienced electrical problems before leaving port.

The person said alarms went off in the ship’s refrigerated containers while the ship was still anchored in Baltimore, likely indicating a faulty power supply.

The ship’s crew was aware of the problems and indicated that they would take care of them, according to the unnamed person.

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said their investigation will include whether the ship had any power problems before the voyage.

Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said last week that the investigation was focusing on the ship’s electrical system in general. The ship had experienced power outages shortly before the crash, according to videos showing the ship’s lights going out and then coming back on.

According to Homendy, the information obtained from the ship’s voyage data recorder is relatively basic, “so the information from the engine room will help us enormously.”

Federal agents apparently boarded the ship on Monday morning to conduct a search, the Post reported.

“The FBI is present on board the cargo vessel Dali conducting court-authorized law enforcement activities,” the agency said in a statement.

The head of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) separately informed the US Congress last week that key personnel from the cargo ship had been questioned as part of the investigation into the accident.

Work is ongoing to clear the debris and restore traffic through the Mid-Atlantic state’s shipping lane.

On April 5, U.S. President Joe Biden flew over the site of the disaster to get an overview and met with local officials for a briefing on the economic impact on the Port of Baltimore, a major hub for ships unloading cars.

The victims were all immigrants from Mexico and Central America who were repairing potholes in the bridge’s road surface when it collapsed.