BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A flight information sign at the newly renovated Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport fell on a mother and her four children on Friday afternoon, killing one child, and injuring the mother and her three other children. The sign reportedly fell on them as they were walking by.

"The 300-plus pound sign toppled and hit the family without warning," said Albert Osorio, who was walking by at the same time.

"The whole thing flipped down on those kids. It took all of us here to stand it back up. Everybody started screaming," he said.



Airport spokeswoman Toni Herrera-Bast confirmed that an incident had occurred, but did not provide any details.

"There has been a collapse. It occurred pre-security inside the terminal," Herrera-Bast said.

An

AL.com reporter on the scene observed the collapse near the Southwest ticket counter. The incident occurred in the newly-renovated portion of the airport. The older parts of the airport are now shuttered to everyone but construction crews.

One child has already been transported via ambulance to an area hospital and another child was being loaded into an ambulance. The mother appeared to have injuries to both legs.

The airport

upon completing the first phase of a $201.6 million effort to modernize and upgrade the facility to post-Sept. 11 security standards.

Construction began in June 2011 under the management of Brasfield & Gorrie-Bloc Global Services Group.

Demolition and renovation of Concourse C is scheduled to begin in a few weeks.

AL.com reporters Kathryn Tuggle and Mike D. Smith contributed to this report.