The National Transportation Safety Board is urging Louisiana's transportation department to assess the safety of eight of its bridges, including almost all of the bridges crossing the Mississippi River in the state.

The US National Transportation Safety Board has issued a warning to bridge operators, telling them to conduct essential safety checks to avoid another tragedy like the Baltimore Bridge disaster nearly one year ago.

Eight bridges in Louisiana are among 68 across the country that the National Transportation Safety Board identified as being at an “unknown level of risk of collapse” should it be hit by a vessel.