Who are the twenty-one crew members of the Dali trapped on the ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge?

This week, the remaining sections of the Francis Scott Key (FSK) bridge were demolished, which was the first step in reconstructing the critical artery for drivers in the Baltimore area. The bridge was hit by a cargo vessel on 26 March, killing six people who were working on the bridge early that morning.

What we know about the workers?

Now, nearly two months later, we are learning that twenty-one members of the crew of the Dali, the vessel that crashed into the bridge, have not been allowed to leave the ship since the incident. The reporting on the connectivity of the crew is mixed, with some outlets reporting that the FBI seized the cellphones of the men, but replaced them with others so that they could keep in touch with their families. However, Joshua Messick, who runs a non-profit out of city, the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center, told BBC that “They don’t have any of their data or anyone’s contact information, so they’re really isolated right now.” Messick described the situation as “sad” and noted that at such a difficult time “they [...] can’t reach out to the folks they need to, or even look at pictures of their children before they go to sleep.”

When could the boat depart the US?

Very little is known about the identities of the crew members on board, but their inability to come off the boat has to do with immigration issues, as many do not have a legal right to be in the United States. We do know that of twenty of the men are Indian nationals, while one is from Sri Lanka, which is the destination of the vessel once it is allowed to leave Baltimore. The departure is expected in the coming days, but as the investigation continues and the vessel’s safety is examined, that date could be pushed back.

The public reports about the condition of the crew could create pressure for officials to identify a solution where in the short term the crew would be allowed to leave.