The collapsing Mississippi demolition bridge claims three lives and leaves numerous individuals with injuries.
Governor Tate Reeves shared on X that the state had "verified numerous injuries and at least three fatalities due to the incident" late Wednesday night. First responders from the Simpson County Sheriff's Office, state and county emergency management agencies, as well as "additional state resources" were present at the site of the bridge collapse, as reported by Tate.
The Simpson County Sheriff's Office reported receiving reports of the bridge collapse around 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to a statement. Upon arriving at the scene, deputies found three construction workers deceased and at least three more with severe injuries, the sheriff's office stated.
The bridge, known as the Strong River Bridge, had been closed to traffic since September 18 in anticipation of a replacement project, as indicated by the Mississippi Department of Transportation in a statement. Contractors were actively demolishing the bridge when it collapsed in a "worksite accident," according to MDOT.
MDOT confirmed that an inspector overseeing the project was on-site during the incident but remained unharmed.
The bridge demolition was part of a larger infrastructure renovation project contracted out to T.L. Wallace Construction Company.
The bridge was located on State Route 149 over the Strong River, approximately 40 miles south of Jackson in south central Mississippi.
CNN has reached out to T.L. Wallace Construction Company for comment.
Maria Lehman, former president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, told CNN Thursday that the Strong River Bridge, constructed in 1935, was one of the 3% of Mississippi bridges found to be in overall poor condition. According to Lehman, while Mississippi is effectively managing its aging infrastructure, the overall state of bridges across the United States is concerning, with many classified as fair or poor condition. A recent report from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association found that nearly 49% of U.S. bridges are classified as fair, and approximately 6.8% are considered poor, revealing a significant need for repairs and upgrades nationwide.
US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg posted on X Wednesday that he had "been briefed on the premature collapse during the demolition of a bridge." He added that the Federal Highway Administration was investigating the incident alongside state authorities.
This is an ongoing story and will be updated.
The authorities are working closely with US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to investigate the cause of the bridge collapse, as he expressed concern over the incident on X. Despite the ongoing investigation, us as a community are deeply affected by the verified injuries and at least three fatalities that resulted from the incident.
