Three construction company employees remain hospitalized in critical condition Thursday, a day after a bridge collapsed during preparations for demolition in rural central Mississippi, the sheriff's office announced.
Simpson County Sheriff Paul Mullins told The Associated Press that three other workers were killed in the collapse and another was injured and treated at the scene.
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The bridge spanned the Strong River on State Route 149 in Simpson County, about 40 miles south of the state capital, Jackson. The bridge has been closed to traffic since Sept. 18 as part of a bridge replacement project, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
Three construction company employees remain hospitalized in critical condition a day after a bridge collapsed in rural central Mississippi while it was being prepared for demolition, the sheriff said. (Fox News)
Mullins said all of the casualties worked for TL Wallace Construction, based in Columbia, Mississippi. The Associated Press left a message with the company Thursday. By Wednesday night, the main phone line was unanswered and messages could not be left.
Simpson County Coroner Terry Tuter announced Thursday that the deceased were Charles Badger, Charles Englehart and Kevin Malone. The tutor did not immediately disclose his age or hometown.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on social media late Wednesday that the Federal Highway Administration is “engaging with state authorities” regarding the “premature collapse during bridge demolition on State Route 149 in Mississippi.”
Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi said on social media Thursday that the bridge collapse was a tragic event.
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Mr Hyde-Smith said: “We must strive to understand the causes of this accident so that something like this never happens again.''
The Mississippi Department of Transportation said one of its inspectors was at the work site when the bridge collapsed and was uninjured.
