Seven killed as ferry dock collapses on US Atlantic coast off Georgia

A team of engineers and construction specialists will begin an investigation into why the gangway collapsed.

At least seven people were killed after part of a ferry dock collapsed off the coast of the US state of Georgia, the authorities say, where crowds had gathered for an autumn celebration.

The incident on Saturday caused at least 20 people to plunge into the Atlantic Ocean, with US Coast Guard ships searching for missing people into the night.

The accident took place during a celebration of Sapelo Island’s small Gullah Geechee community who are the descendants of African slaves.

Island residents, family members and tourists gathered for Cultural Day, an annual event spotlighting the island’s tiny community of Hogg Hummock, home to a few dozen Black residents.

The dock was crowded with people waiting for a ferry, said Tyler Jones, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which operates the dock and ferry boats that transport people between the island and the mainland.