A team of engineers and construction experts will begin an investigation into what caused the gangway to collapse.
At least seven people were killed when a section of a ferry pier collapsed off the US coast of Georgia where crowds were gathering for fall celebrations, authorities said.
At least 20 people fell into the Atlantic Ocean in Saturday’s incident, and U.S. Coast Guard vessels searched through the night for the missing.
The accident occurred during a celebration for the small Gullah-Geechee community on Sapelo Island, descendants of African slaves.
Island residents, families and tourists gathered for Cultural Day. The cultural day is an annual event highlighting Hog Hammock, a small community on the island that is home to a few dozen black residents.
Tyler Jones, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which operates the docks and ferry boats that transport people between the island and the mainland, said the docks were crowded with people waiting for ferries.
Sapelo Island is located approximately 60 miles (97 km) south of Savannah and is accessible by boat from the mainland.
“We and multiple agencies are searching for survivors,” Jones said, adding that eight people were taken to hospitals, at least six with serious injuries.
Officials said a team of engineers and construction experts will be at the site on Sunday to begin investigating what caused the sidewalk to collapse.
Jones said there were “no collisions” with boats or anything else. “It just fell apart. I don’t know why.”
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris expressed their condolences and said they had told local authorities that federal assistance would be provided if needed.
“What was supposed to be a joyful celebration of Gullah-Geechee culture and history turned into tragedy and devastation,” Biden said in a statement. “We also want to thank the first responders on the scene.”
Harris, a Democratic candidate for next month’s presidential election, said during a campaign stop in Atlanta, Georgia’s capital, that she was “praying for all those killed and injured, and their families and loved ones.”
Experts say the affected community, known in Georgia as the Gullah or Geechee, is believed to have retained African heritage because of their isolation. Small communities descended from the enslaved islanders of the South are scattered along the coast from North Carolina to Florida.
Roger Lotson, the only black member of the McIntosh County Commission, said the descendants of Hog Hammock slaves were “bonded by family, bonded by history and bonded by struggle.” He said there is. His district includes Sapelo Island.
“Everyone is family and everyone knows each other,” Lotson said. “In any tragedy, especially a tragedy like this one, they’re all one. They’re all united. They’re all feeling the same pain, the same hurt.”
