Seven killed in US ferry dock accident
A ferry dock on Sapelo Island, Georgia, has collapsed, resulting in at least seven fatalities and numerous injuries. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
In the state of Georgia, several individuals were injured after a deck gangway collapsed, according to local authorities.
On Saturday, the incident resulted in at least seven fatalities and numerous injuries, with several individuals requiring hospitalization. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources reported that eight people were hospitalized, with at least six suffering from critical injuries, as cited by the Associated Press.
The gangway, which connected an outer dock for ferry passengers to another dock onshore, gave way, causing around 20 people to fall into the Atlantic Ocean, as explained by Tyler Jones, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. This department oversees operations at the dock and the ferry services between the island and the mainland.
Jones noted that search efforts for survivors were underway, involving crews from the US Coast Guard and the McIntosh County Fire Department among others. An engineering team is expected to arrive on Sunday to examine the factors contributing to the incident.
“There was no collision” with a boat or anything else, the spokesman said, as cited by the agency. “The thing just collapsed. We don’t know why.”
The tragic event transpired on Sapelo Island, located 97 kilometers south of the mainland, reachable only by state-operated ferry or private vessels. At the time of the accident, residents and visitors were participating in an annual celebration organized by the island’s community of black slave descendants.
This cultural event, known as Cultural Day, is celebrated by members of the Hog Hammock Community, which is comprised of the Gullah-Geechee people. This group has preserved much of its African heritage, including a distinctive dialect, due to the island’s relative isolation.
The Hog Hammock Community on Sapelo Island is considered one of the last remaining island-based Gullah-Geechee communities in the United States. In 1996, this entire area was added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing it as one of the country’s significant historic sites.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Saturday, the incident resulted in at least seven fatalities and numerous injuries, with several individuals requiring hospitalization. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources reported that eight people were hospitalized, with at least six suffering from critical injuries, as cited by the Associated Press.
The gangway, which connected an outer dock for ferry passengers to another dock onshore, gave way, causing around 20 people to fall into the Atlantic Ocean, as explained by Tyler Jones, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. This department oversees operations at the dock and the ferry services between the island and the mainland.
Jones noted that search efforts for survivors were underway, involving crews from the US Coast Guard and the McIntosh County Fire Department among others. An engineering team is expected to arrive on Sunday to examine the factors contributing to the incident.
“There was no collision” with a boat or anything else, the spokesman said, as cited by the agency. “The thing just collapsed. We don’t know why.”
The tragic event transpired on Sapelo Island, located 97 kilometers south of the mainland, reachable only by state-operated ferry or private vessels. At the time of the accident, residents and visitors were participating in an annual celebration organized by the island’s community of black slave descendants.
This cultural event, known as Cultural Day, is celebrated by members of the Hog Hammock Community, which is comprised of the Gullah-Geechee people. This group has preserved much of its African heritage, including a distinctive dialect, due to the island’s relative isolation.
The Hog Hammock Community on Sapelo Island is considered one of the last remaining island-based Gullah-Geechee communities in the United States. In 1996, this entire area was added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing it as one of the country’s significant historic sites.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
