Mumbai, Singapore-based ship management firm Synergy Marine Group said it is “working hard” to address all the needs of the crew of its container ship Dali, involved in the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident in Baltimore on March 26. In an update, the company also claimed that all crew members are in “good health” and they are assisting with the investigation and the ongoing salvage work.
The Singapore-flagged container ship Dali (IMO 9697428) had on March 26 collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
The update came following media reports that the 20 Indian crew stuck in Baltimore can not pay bills for their families in India as their phones have been confiscated by the probe agencies.
“As managers we are working hard to address all the crew’s needs…all crew are in good health and are holding up well,” Synergy Marine Group said.
Stating that it is still not known how long the investigation will take, it said “the crew will remain on board, and Synergy Marine Group will continue to provide them with every care and support.”
“We hope that, soon after the Dali is secure at a berth, the authorities will allow them to disembark so we can arrange to get them home,” it said.
According to the company, on April 15, when the crew members’ phones were retained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), replacements were soon provided so that they could contact their families.
Besides, there is a close monitoring of their physical and mental welfare with counselling which is available 24/7, among others, it said.
Moreover, two additional deck crew have also embarked to share general increased workload due to increased number of visitors on board and allow more downtime, the group said.
Immediately after the incident, the company said it had dispatched representatives to Baltimore to look after the crew’s interests.