LUCEDALE, Miss (WKRG) — A Mississippi highway collapsed after Hurricane Ida, killing two people and injuring at least 10 others, three of whom had life-threatening injuries.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol responded to the scene Tuesday where both lanes of Highway 26 collapsed west of Lucedale, about 60 miles northeast of Biloxi. Seven vehicles were involved, including a motorcycle.
Troopers say vehicles plunged into a deep hole where the highway collapsed after Hurricane Ida blew through Mississippi.
Rescue teams and emergency personnel were searching for more survivors. Highway 26 was closed until further notice.
Torrential rain may have caused the collapse, and the drivers may not have seen that the roadway in front of them had disappeared Monday night, Mississippi Highway Patrol Cp. Cal Robertson said.
“Some of these cars are stacked on top of each other,” he said. A crane was brought in to lift them out of the hole. Robertson said the hole is around 50 to 60 feet long and 20 to 30 feet deep.
The identities and conditions of those involved in the accident have not yet been released.
Hurricane Ida blasted ashore Sunday as a Category 4 storm, one of the most powerful ever to hit the U.S. mainland. It knocked out power to much of southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi, blowing roofs off buildings and briefly reversing the flow of the Mississippi River.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.