WASHINGTON − On Wednesday, the Justice Department initiated a lawsuit for $100 million against the Dali container ship’s owner, following its crash into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, which resulted in six fatalities.

Officials stated that over 50 federal and state agencies worked together to clear the bridge debris after the incident on March 26 and to reopen the Fort McHenry Shipping Channel by June. The federal expenditure for this operation amounted to $100 million, and the government is pursuing punitive damages from the ship’s owners and operators, Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, based in Singapore.

“This tragedy occurred due to the reckless and negligent choices made by Grace Ocean and Synergy, who thoughtlessly dispatched a vessel that was not seaworthy through a vital waterway, disregarding the safety of American citizens and national infrastructure,” said Chetan Patil, acting deputy assistant attorney general from the civil division’s tort branch.

No immediate comments were available from representatives of Grace Ocean and Synergy.

Maryland’s state government may still pursue financial compensation from the shipowner to help rebuild the bridge, with reconstruction costs expected to be in the billions.

Benjamin Mizer, principal deputy associate attorney general, accused the Dali’s owner of compromising safety, endangering lives and the U.S. economy, even after acknowledging that strong vibrations on board could cause a serious power failure.

“The nation witnessed the shocking footage of the bridge collapsing into the water below,” Mizer stated. “Six construction workers tragically lost their lives during the disaster. Our condolences go out to their families for this avoidable loss of life.”

The Dali cargo vessel struck a bridge support while leaving Baltimore for Sri Lanka early on March 26, causing a section of Interstate 695 to fall into the Patapsco River. At the time of the accident, eight workers were conducting pothole repairs on the bridge, and six of them lost their lives. This incident also blocked access to the Port of Baltimore.

Footage showed the container ship striking the bridge after apparently losing power on two occasions.

According to Patil, the ship lost power after the circuit breakers in a transformer in the engine room tripped due to excessive vibrations, which had been a known issue on the vessel.

The power should have rapidly switched to an alternative transformer, but this was delayed because the automation system had been “recklessly disabled,” as Patil explained. Additionally, the ship’s emergency generator failed, and a temporary fuel pump, which lacked proper specifications, could not restart after the blackout, leaving the ship unable to navigate.

“It’s evident that this incident was entirely preventable,” Patil stated. “The Dali’s electrical and mechanical systems were improperly managed and not maintained according to safety guidelines.”

The Fort McHenry Federal Channel was returned to its original depth nearly three months after the bridge disaster took place.

The channel was restored to its previous dimensions of 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep after 50,000 tons of debris from the bridge were cleared from the river, as reported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in June.

Officials in Maryland have estimated that rebuilding the bridge might cost between $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion, with its completion projected for fall 2028.