By Rich McKay
(Reuters) – At least seven people were killed after part of a jetty collapsed, sending at least 20 people into Atlantic waters off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia.
US Coast Guard ships searched for missing persons on Saturday evening.
The accident, which also caused multiple injuries, happened during a celebration for the small Gullah-Geechee community of black slave descendants on Sapelo Island, authorities said.
A gangway packed with people waiting for a ferry collapsed late Saturday afternoon on the barrier island of Georgia, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of Savannah, said Tyler Jones, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which operates the ferry. .
“We and multiple agencies are looking for survivors,” Jones said.
Coast Guard helicopters and boats equipped with sonar immediately began search and rescue operations, officials said. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.
Sapelo Island is only accessible by boat and the state-run ferry takes about 20 minutes to reach the shore.
People celebrated Cultural Day, an annual festival honoring the island's historic black community, made up of descendants of former slaves, one of many remaining island communities from Georgia to North Carolina.
It is believed that the people known as Gullah, or Geechee in Georgia, have retained much of their African heritage due to their isolation.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved, including the entire Sapelo Island community,” the Georgia DNR said in a statement.
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Rod Nickel)
