Mississippi bridge collapses in deadly accident at demolition site: Officials

(SIMPSON COUNTY, Miss.) — A Mississippi bridge set to be demolished collapsed in a deadly accident on Wednesday, officials said.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation confirmed there were fatalities, though it did not specify how many people died.

“[We] extend our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones,” the Mississippi Department of Transportation said in a statement.

An inspector with the Mississippi Department of Transportation who was at the worksite when the bridge collapsed was unharmed, the department said.

The bridge, which spanned the Strong River in Simpson County on State Route 149, collapsed Wednesday afternoon, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

The bridge had been closed to traffic since Sept. 18 and was in the process of being demolished as part of a bridge replacement project, the department said.

The replacement project had been given an estimate of 12 to 18 months to complete, according to previous statements from the department.