Eight Indian crew members of the cargo ship MV Dali, which collided with Baltimore's in March, finally left for India on Friday after spending nearly three months aboFrancis Scott Key Bridgeard the vessel.
According to the Baltimore Maritime Exchange, four of the 21 crew members remain on the 984-foot cargo ship, which is scheduled to depart for Norfolk, Virginia, on Friday evening for repairs.
The rest of the crew has been relocated to a service apartment in Baltimore, awaiting the conclusion of the investigation.
Of the 21 crew members, 20 were Indian nationals. The collision caused the bridge's collapse, resulting in the deaths of six construction workers.
The incident has led to a significant investigation by the FBI and other federal agencies, though no charges have been filed against the crew members.
The departure of the eight crew members, including a cook, a fitter, and seamen, was facilitated by a deal approved by a judge. None of these departing crew members are officers. The remaining 13 crew members are staying in the US due to ongoing investigations.
“They’re anxious, under considerable stress considering they don’t know the future.
They don’t know when they’ll see their family again or how they’ll be treated here,” said Rev. Joshua Messick, director of the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center and chaplain for the Port of Baltimore.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a 2.6 km-long, four-lane structure over the Patapsco River, collapsed after the MV Dali struck its pillars on March 26.
The vessel, owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd, was en route from Baltimore to Colombo at the time, with a capacity of 10,000 TEU and onboard units totaling 4,679 TEU. The ship’s deadweight is 116,851 DWT.
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