BALTIMORE, Maryland: Amid ongoing investigations, crew members on the cargo ship Dali that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore leading to its collapse, are being prevented by attorneys from returning to their home countries.

Eight of the crew members were to return home as early as June 20, according to emails included in court filings this week. The roughly two dozen total seafarers are from India and Sri Lanka.

That would mark the first time any of them would leave the ship after it collided with the bridge on March 26.

In court filings, attorneys representing the City of Baltimore said the men should remain in the U.S. so they can be questioned over who should be held responsible for covering costs and damages resulting from the bridge collapse.

"The crew consists entirely of foreign nationals who, of course, have critical knowledge and information about the events giving rise to this litigation," attorneys wrote. "If they are permitted to leave the United States, Claimants may never have the opportunity to question or depose them."

No ruling has been issued in response.

A spokesperson for the ship's owner said he could not specify how many crew members were leaving and when.

The ship's owner and manager, from two Singapore-based companies, began the ongoing civil litigation with a petition seeking to limit their legal liability for the deadly disaster.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation found the ship experienced two power outages in the hours before it left the Port of Baltimore. In the moments before the bridge collapse, it lost power again and veered off course. The agency is investigating to determine what caused the electrical issues.

The FBI also launched a criminal investigation.

Department of Justice investigators have already interviewed the eight crew members scheduled to return home, and they have no objection to the crew's departure.