At least seven people have died after part of a ferry dock collapsed in Georgia’s Sapelo Island on Saturday, local authorities say.
Georgia’s department of authentic resources, which functions the dock, shelp at least 20 people plunged into the water when the gangway collapsed.
Multiple people have been apvalidaten to hospital and search and get back operations are under way.
The ramp uniteed an outer dock where people board the ferry to another dock onshore, according to local alerts.
The incident happened at approximately 16:30 local time (20:30 GMT) at the Marsh Landing Dock as crowds accumulateed for a cultural celebration.
It is not yet understandn what caemployd the collapse.
Brian Kemp, the handleor of Georgia, shelp he and his family were “heartbroken” by the tragedy and asked for prayers “for those lost, for those still in harm’s way, and for their families”.
The handleor has sent “state resources to help in search, get back, & recovery”, Georgia reconshort-termative Buddy Carter shelp in a post on X.
Local authorities shelp the gangway has been safed and the incident is under spendigation.
The annual event happening at the time of the collapse commemorates the island’s community of Hogg Hummock, which is home to a restrictcessitate dozen Bconciseage dwellnts.
Hogg Hummock was set uped by newly-freed establisher slaves from structuretations in coastal Georgia who remendd on Sapelo Island adhereing the US Civil War, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation shelp on its website.
Small communities droped from enslaved island populations in the South, understandn as Gullah, or Geechee in Georgia, are scattered alengthy the coast from North Carolina to Florida.
Sapelo Island is accomplishable from the mainland by boat.
