A dock walkway collapse killed seven people in the southern US state of Georgia on Saturday, authorities said, as crowds gathered for a festival on an island.
At least 20 people were thrown into the waters off Sapelo Island, and an unknown number were injured, Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources said in a statement, reporting the seven deaths.
The collapse occurred as the island hosted a festival celebrating its small Gullah-Geechee community, descendants of Africans once enslaved on southern US plantations.
Isolated on islands scattered along the southeastern US coast, their ancestors relied on the land and sea. They created their own culture, nourished by their African heritage, and even developed their own Creole language.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said the incident was under investigation and did not suggest possible causes for the collapse.
US Vice President Kamala Harris said local officials would be offered any federal support needed by the community.
“Even in the face of this heartbreak, we will continue to celebrate and honour the history, culture, and resilience of the Gullah-Geechee community,” Harris said in a statement.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said he was “heartbroken” by the tragedy.
“We ask that all Georgians join us in praying for those lost, for those still in harm’s way, and their families,” he added on the social media platform X.
AFP
