Three people were killed and several others seriously injured Wednesday when a bridge in Mississippi, closed nearly a month ago, collapsed as a work crew prepared to demolish it, authorities said.
The bridge over the Strong River on State Route 149 in Simpson County, about 40 miles south of Jackson, had been closed to traffic since Sept. 18 as part of a bridge replacement project, said the Mississippi Department of Transportation in a press release.
Governor Tate Reeves said In a social media post Wednesday evening, county first responders and “other state officials were at the scene of the tragedy” where they had confirmed at least three deaths and several injuries.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a social media post Wednesday evening that the Federal Highway Administration is “engaging state officials regarding” the “premature collapse during bridge demolition on State Route 149 in Mississippi.
Simpson County Sheriff Paul Mullins previously told WLBT-TV that three people were killed and four seriously injured.
Terry Tutor, the Simpson County coroner, told The New York Times that seven men were working on the bridge, using heavy machinery to demolish it, when it gave way and collapsed nearly 40 feet. He said three of the men died and four were injured, the Times reported.
Mullins and Tutor did not immediately respond to messages Wednesday evening from The Associated Press.
A call to the construction company, TL Wallace Construction, went unanswered Wednesday evening, and a message could not be left.
Transportation Department spokeswoman Anna Ehrgott said the agency “will share more information with the public as it becomes available.”
The ministry said one of its inspectors was at the construction site when the bridge collapsed and that person was unhurt.
