The United States Department of Justice announced Tuesday that it had charged the operators of a ship that crashed into a Maryland bridge two years ago and killed six people.

The ship, clocking in at more than 100,000 tons and stretching 900 feet long, lost power twice, causing it to crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024. Six construction workers who were working on the bridge fell to their deaths as the bridge collapsed and crumpled into the water.

“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement announcing the charges. “This indictment is a critical step toward holding accountable those whose reckless disregard for maritime safety regulations caused this disaster. Six construction workers lost their lives, critical infrastructure was destroyed, pollutants were released into the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay, and the economic damage now exceeds five billion dollars.”

“This Department is committed to securing justice for the victims and ensuring those responsible are held to account,” he added.

Those charged include the international companies Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd. and Synergy Maritime Pte. Ltd., as well as the ship’s technical superintendent, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair. They are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States; misconduct or neglect of ship officers resulting in death; willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition; obstruction of an agency proceeding; and making false statements.

In addition to those charges, the DOJ added misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act and Refuse Act to the companies involved.

Synergy Marine Group, which includes both companies, slammed the decision to charge them by accusing the DOJ of “criminalizing a tragic accident” and calling the accusations “baseless.”

“Synergy will vigorously defend itself against these inaccurate allegations,” the company said. “Synergy and its employees have fully cooperated and have been transparent at all times during the NTSB’s investigation, and any allegations to the contrary are woefully inaccurate.”

“We are confident that the DOJ cannot and will not meet its burden of proof and that we will prevail at trial,” it said.