At least seven people died on Saturday after part of a ferry pier collapsed on Sapelo Island in the state of Georgia, the Associated Press reported, citing BTA, citing a spokesman for the state agency that manages the facility.
Several people were taken to hospitals, and crews from the US Coast Guard, McIntosh County Fire Department, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and other agencies are searching the water for survivors.
A spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said a movable part of the pier collapsed and people fell into the water. This happened at a time when crowds of people had gathered on the island for a celebration of the local black community. At least 20 people fell into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean when the drawbridge collapsed on the pier while people were waiting for a ferry, Reuters added.
Sapelo Island is located about 100 km south of Savannah and can be reached by boat from the mainland, AP explains.