US investigators recover data recorder of crashed cargo ship manned by Indian crew
Washington (PTI): A team of US investigators have boarded the container ship manned by a 22-member Indian crew which crashed into a bridge in the US city of Baltimore and recovered its data recorder, a top official said on Wednesday as authorities probed the cause of the dramatic accident.
At least eight people went into the water. Six others are presumed dead after the collision involving the Singapore-flagged Dali struck the 2.6km-long Francis Scott Key Bridge as the vessel left the busy port early Tuesday morning.
One of the 22 Indian crew members received minor injuries and was treated and discharged from the hospital, Synergy Marine Group, the owners of the vessel said in a statement.
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told CNN that investigators were able to board the Dali ship overnight.
"Some investigators boarded late last night to look at the engine room, the bridge and gather any sort of electronics or documentation," Homendy said.
"Right now, we do have the data record, which is essentially the black box,'" Homendy said.
"We've sent that back to our lab to evaluate and begin to develop a timeline of events that led up to the strike on the bridge." She indicated that investigators should have information from the vessel's black box later today.
Homendy said that a team of 24 investigators will be returning to the ship this morning, with a focus on collecting the perishable evidence, including pictures of the vessel.
Homendy said that interviews with crew members will begin later today.
"With respect to those on the vessel, we will also interview fire and rescue and and people that were on the bridge as well," she said.
The four-lane bridge snapped and plunged into the Patapsco River on Tuesday after the container ship bound for Sri Lanka crashed into it. The vessel had lost power and issued a distress call moments before - but could not change course in time to avoid crashing into the bridge, according to US media reports.
Meanwhile, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said if private companies are responsible for the cargo ship crash, they will be held responsible.
"To be clear: if any private party is responsible and accountable for this, then they will be held accountable," he told CNN. "But we can't wait for that to play out to get to work right now," he said.
Buttigieg predicted a "long road to recovery" for the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the Port of Baltimore, saying that getting the bridge back up and the port reopen will be a priority for the Biden administration.
When asked if he had any idea when the Patapsco River channel might reopen, Buttigieg said he did not have an estimated time.
However, he said his department was working with relevant authorities, including the US Coast Guard, to get it open as soon as possible. He noted that the conditions of the remaining pier will also impact that timeline.
"Not only do we need to get those ships in, there are some ships that are already in there that can't get out. So, it's very important to get that channel open," he said.
Buttigieg also warned of disruptions to supply chains in the near-term.
"The impact of this incident is going to be felt throughout the region and really throughout our supply chains. We're talking about the biggest vehicle-handling port in the country that is now out of commission until that channel can be cleared and a bridge that took five years to build," the top official said.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
