Baltimore bridge collapse: FBI open investigation into cargo ship amid claims it had 'electrical issues'
The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into the large container ship that brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, according to reports.
The bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River on March 26 in Maryland, killing six bridge workers.
The FBI has opened a federal criminal probe, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing two US officials familiar with the matter.
The investigation will at least partly focus on the Dali cargo ship and whether its crew left the port in Baltimore knowing the ship had serious problems with its systems, the Post said.
Authorities will review events leading up to the moment when the Dali slammed into one of the bridge’s support pillars, unnamed officials told the Post.
The Dali experienced apparent electrical issues before leaving port, a source told the Associated Press.
The person said alarms went off on the ship's refrigerated containers while it was still docked in Baltimore, likely indicating an inconsistent power supply.
The ship's crew was aware of the issues and indicated they would be addressed, according to the unnamed person.
Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board have said their investigation will include an inquiry into whether the ship experienced power issues before starting its voyage.
Board chair Jennifer Homendy said last week that the investigation is focused on the ship's electrical system generally. The ship experienced power issues moments before the crash, as is evident in videos that show its lights going out and coming back on.
Ms Homendy said information gleaned from the vessel's voyage data recorder is relatively basic, "so that information in the engine room will help us tremendously".
On Monday morning federal agents appeared to board the ship to conduct a search, the Post reported.
“The FBI is present aboard the cargo ship Dali conducting court authorized law enforcement activity,” the agency said in a statement.
The head of the US National Transportation Safety Board separately told Congress last week that it had interviewed key cargo ship personnel as part of its investigation of the crash.
Work to clear the wreckage and restore traffic through the Mid-Atlantic state's shipping channel is ongoing.
On April 5, US president Joe Biden flew over the scene of the disaster to get an aerial view. He met local officials for a briefing on the economic impact to the Baltimore port, an important shipping destination for ships to offload automobiles.
The victims were all immigrants from Mexico and Central America, who were fixing potholes on the road surface of the bridge when it collapsed.
