Mississippi Bridge collapses in fatal crash at demolition site over Strong River in Simpson County: officials

A bridge in Mississippi that was scheduled to be demolished collapsed in a deadly accident Wednesday, officials said.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation confirmed there were fatalities but did not say how many people died.

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

A Mississippi Department of Transportation inspector who was at the site when the bridge collapsed was uninjured, the department said.

According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the bridge spanning the Strong River in Simpson County on State Route 149 collapsed Wednesday afternoon.

The bridge has been closed to traffic since Sept. 18 and is currently being demolished as part of a bridge replacement project, the department said.

According to previous information from the department, the replacement project was estimated to take 12 to 18 months to complete.