HOUSTON - At least three people died and four others were injured after a bridge collapsed in the southern US state of Mississippi on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said, calling it "a work site accident."

The deaths and injuries were confirmed by Simpson County Sheriff Paul Mullins, local media outlet WLBT reported.

The bridge over the Strong River on Highway 149, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Jackson, had been closed to traffic since Sept 18 as part of a bridge replacement project, the Mississippi Department of Transportation said in a news release.

The department said it "would share more information with the public as it becomes available."