Congressman Says Shipping Firms Should Be Held Liable for Baltimore Bridge Collapse

As federal, state, and local officials continue to assess the damage and repair costs following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) is arguing that international shipping companies should be held liable. A portion of the bridge over the Patapsco River collapsed on March 26 after the container ship MV Dali struck one of the bridge’s support pillars. According to recent court filings, the MV Dali is owned by a Singapore-based firm called Grace Ovean Private Limited, and is managed through a second Singapore-based firm called Synergy Marine PTE Ltd. MV Dali was operated on a charter basis. A spokesperson for the Denmark-based A.P. Moller-Maersk (Maersk) has confirmed the cargo vessel was operating under its charter at the time of the bridge collapse....