Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify the number of people the Simpson County sheriff said were injured during the collapse of the Strong River bridge.

SIMPSON COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) - Three people have died and others were injured after a bridge collapsed on State Route 149 in Simpson County.

Officials with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) said the bridge over the Strong River collapsed Wednesday afternoon while work was being conducted at the site.

Simpson County Coroner Terry Tutor identified the three victims who died as Kevin Malone, Charles Ingleharte, and Charles Badger. Three injured victims were airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson, and one injured victim was treated at the scene.

According to MDOT, the bridge has been closed to traffic since September 18 as part of a bridge replacement project. They said T.L. Wallace, the contractor for the project, was in the process of demolishing the bridge.

An MDOT inspector was at the work site when the bridge collapsed and was unharmed. Sadly, there were fatalities as a result of the accident, and we extend our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.

Mississippi Department of Transportation

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on social media late Wednesday that the Federal Highway Administration was “engaging state officials concerning” the “premature collapse during demolition of a bridge on State Route 149 in Mississippi.”

The investigation is ongoing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.