FBI Launches Criminal Inquiry Into Baltimore Bridge Collapse as Authorities Recover Fourth Body

By Trisha Andrada

Apr 16 2024, 05:22 AM EDT

TOPSHOT-US-TRANSPORT-INCIDENT — TOPSHOT - In this aerial image, the steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship after the bridge collapsed, Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The bridge collapsed early March 26 after being struck by the Singapore-flagged Dali container ship, sending multiple vehicles and people plunging into the frigid harbor below. There was no immediate confirmation of the cause of the disaster, but Baltimore's Police Commissioner Richard Worley said there was "no indication" of terrorism. Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched a criminal investigation into the March accident when a ship hit Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse. Meanwhile, local authorities have verified the finding of a fourth corpse.

FBI Agents Conduct Law Enforcement Aboard the Cargo Ship

On Monday, April 15, an FBI representative said that agents were on board the cargo ship Dali to carry out law enforcement activities authorized by a court regarding the crash, ABC News reported. The inquiry into the collapse would reportedly examine whether the crew knew that the ship had major system faults before leaving the port.

Safety investigators have retrieved the "black box" recorder, which contains information on the ship's location, velocity, course, radar, audio and radio transmissions from the bridge, and alarms.

On Monday, the city of Baltimore retained legal representation from DiCello Levitt and Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky Trial Lawyers in anticipation of a potential lawsuit involving the ship's owner, charterer, and operator.

The Singapore-flagged ship that Synergy Marine Group is in charge of and that Maersk has chartered belongs to Grace Ocean in its rightful ownership.

The Body of the Fourth Victim Recovered

Meanwhile, divers discovered the body of a fourth victim inside what they thought was a lost construction truck, according to a statement from the Key Bridge Unified Command. The relatives of the victim requested that no details about their identity be made public.

The enormous container ship lost power and struck a support pylon in the early hours of March 26, causing the bridge to fall into the Patapsco River. Six of the men who were working at the time were killed, and two more bodies are still missing.