The chief engineer of the container ship Dali has been criminally charged in federal court in Maryland in connection with the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, an incident that resulted in six fatalities. Karthikeyan Deenadayalan, who served as chief engineer in the weeks before the disaster, faces one count of violating the Ports and Waterways Safety Act. Federal prosecutors allege that he failed to notify the U.S. Coast Guard about hazardous conditions aboard the ship prior to its departure from the Port of Baltimore in March 2024.

Shortly after the Dali left port, the ship suffered two blackouts while navigating the Patapsco River, losing power steering control. It subsequently collided with a critical support pillar of the bridge, causing the entire span to collapse. The six men killed were highway workers filling potholes on the roadway at the time. Deenadayalan has entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement with the government, though details of the agreement have not been made public and are pending judicial approval. Both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Deenadayalan’s legal representatives declined further comment.

The new charge comes about a month after the Justice Department indicted Synergy Marine Group, the Dali’s operator, and its technical supervisor, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, on multiple counts related to the crash. Prosecutors have accused the company and Nair of violating maritime and environmental laws, including conspiring to conceal the use of improper fuel pumps on the Dali and other ships in Synergy’s fleet. These faulty pumps reportedly undermined the vessel’s ability to restore steering power in a critical moment, contributing to the collision. Additionally, Synergy Marine Group and Nair face allegations of lying to federal investigators and falsifying safety inspection records.

A hearing for the case involving Synergy Marine Group and Nair took place on June 16 before U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar, who is also managing a related civil trial concerning the bridge collapse. Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the owner of the Dali, have sought to limit their financial liability, arguing in court filings that they were not negligent in the crash. Plaintiffs in the civil case, which includes personal injury and economic loss claims, contend that the companies knowingly allowed an unseaworthy vessel to sail despite safety concerns.

Although the trial has been postponed indefinitely while legal disputes continue, the companies have reportedly paid settlements exceeding their sought $43.6 million liability cap to most of the plaintiffs, including the survivors and families of the deceased workers. The civil litigation remains ongoing as courts review the remaining claims and motions from both sides.