A partial collapse of a ferry terminal on Sapelo Island, Georgia, on Saturday killed not less than seven individuals, native authorities stated.
The Georgia Division of Pure Assets, which operates the pier, stated not less than 20 individuals jumped into the water when the ramp collapsed.
The incident occurred at round 16:30 native time (20:30 GMT) at Marsh Touchdown Pier the place a crowd had gathered for a cultural celebration.
A number of individuals have been despatched to hospital and search and rescue operations are underway.
U.S. President Joe Biden stated he and his spouse, Jill, mourned the lack of life and “prayed for the injured and people who are nonetheless lacking.”
It was unclear what prompted the collapse of the walkway, which connects to an outer pier the place individuals board ferries to a different pier ashore, in accordance with native stories.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp stated he and his household have been “heartbroken” by the tragedy and requested for prayers “for individuals who misplaced their lives, for individuals who stay in danger and for his or her households.”
Georgia Consultant Buddy Carter posted on X that the governor had dispatched “state sources to help with search, rescue and restoration.”
Native authorities stated the gangway had been secured and the incident was below investigation.
Biden stated his staff “stands prepared to offer any help that’s useful to the group.”
The annual occasion, which occurred on the time of the collapse, celebrates the island’s Hoghammock group, dwelling to dozens of black residents.
Hogg Hummock was created by new slaves from coastal Georgia plantations who settled on Sapelo Island after the American Civil Warfare, The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation states on its website.
President Biden stated in a press release that Saturday’s occasion “ought to have been a festivity of Gullah Geechee tradition and historical past, however as a substitute changed into tragedy and destruction.”
Small communities descended from the enslaved island populations of the South (referred to as Gullah or Geechee in Georgia) are scattered alongside the coast from North Carolina to Florida.
Sapelo Island could be reached by boat from the mainland.
