Eight Indian crew members of the cargo ship 'Dali', which collided with a famous Baltimore bridge in March, departed for India on Friday after spending almost three months on the large vessel. Baltimore Maritime Exchange reports that four out of the 21 crew members remain aboard the 984-foot cargo ship MV Dali, with plans for departure to Norfolk, Virginia set for Friday evening.
The other members of the crew have been transferred to a service apartment in Baltimore and will stay there while an investigation is conducted. It is worth mentioning that 20 crew members were Indian citizens. The MV Dali Cargo was involved in the tragic incident in which it hit the pillars of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and resulting in the death of six construction workers.
Dali will be repaired in Norfolk. The exit of eight Indian crew members, which includes a chef, a mechanic, and sailors, is a result of an agreement given the green light by the judge. No one among them holds an officer position. 13 others will stay in the US due to ongoing investigations.
"They're feeling uneasy, experiencing high levels of stress due to uncertainty about what lies ahead." Rev. Joshua Messick, who is the director of the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center and the chaplain for the Port of Baltimore, told CNN that the seafarers are uncertain about when they will reunite with their family and what kind of treatment they will receive here.
No charges have been brought against any of the crew members in relation to the tragedy. The FBI and other federal authorities are carrying out the inquiries.
On March 26, the 2.6km-long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which has four lanes and crosses the Patapsco River, collapsed when Dali crashed into it.
Grace Ocean Private Ltd owns the ship, which was sailing from Baltimore to Colombo. It can carry 10,000 TEU, with 4,679 TEU currently on board.