by TYLER DURDEN at zerohedge.com
The Justice Department alleges that the mechanical and electrical systems on the massive container ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a critical shipping channel in the waterways of Baltimore City earlier this year had been ‘jerry-rigged’ and improperly maintained, resulting in a power outage in the moments before the ship toppled the bridge.
“This tragedy was entirely avoidable. The electrical and mechanical systems on the DALI were improperly maintained and configured in a way that violated safety regulations and norms for international shipping. These problems precipitated a power loss and then a cascading series of failures that culminated in the collision,” the complaint read, which was filed in Maryland and provides the most details yet into failures on the Dali that left the crew paralyzed.
The complaint continued, “As events unfolded, and because of the unseaworthy condition of the ship, none of the four means available to help control the DALI—her propeller, rudder, anchor, or bow thruster—worked when they were needed to avert or even mitigate this disaster. Mechanical and electrical systems on the massive container ship had been ‘jerry-rigged’ and improperly maintained, culminating in a horrific power outage moments before it crashed into a support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. Six construction workers were killed when the bridge plunged into the water.”