BALTIMORE, MD—The city of Baltimore has announced that it will launch legal action against the owner of the M/V Dali, the boat that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and caused its collapse, in an effort to protect residents from the economic fallout of the disaster.

The city said it would sue the shipping company, the owner, the charterer, the manager and the manufacturer, “to hold the wrongdoers responsible and to mitigate the immediate and long-term harm caused to Baltimore City residents.”

“This unthinkable tragedy has taken Marylanders from their loved ones, and risked the livelihoods of thousands of Baltimoreans who rely on the Port of Baltimore,” Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement. “We are continuing to do everything in our power to support everyone impacted here and will continue to recognize the human impact this event has had. Part of that work needs to be seeking recourse from those who may potentially be responsible, and with the ship’s owner filing a petition to limit its liability mere days after the incident, we need to act equally as quickly to protect the City’s interests.”

The city said the legal action was part of a broader plan to help displaced residents and businesses, and to mitigate the long-term effects of the disaster on the city’s economy. The mayor’s office said the city would also launch a public awareness campaign to promote economic development and job creation opportunities in the area affected by the bridge collapse.

Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating whether there was any criminal wrongdoing in the crash that brought down the Key Bridge, according to ABC News.

The probe will look at whether the crew left port with the knowledge something could be wrong with the ship.

On Monday morning, agents from the FBI were aboard the ship, according to the Justice Department.

“The FBI is present aboard the cargo ship Dali conducting court authorized law enforcement activity,” the FBI Baltimore said in a statement.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kimberly Reaves