Dock walkway collapse kills 7 in U.S. state of Georgia

Sapelo Island, the place the Gullah-Geechee group held a competition to have a good time, on June 10, 2013. File
| Picture Credit score: AP

“A dock walkway collapse killed seven folks within the southern U.S. state of Georgia on Saturday Saturday (October 20, 2024),” authorities mentioned, as crowds gathered for a competition on an island.

Not less than 20 folks have been tossed into the waters off Sapelo Island and an unknown quantity have been injured, Georgia’s Division of Pure Sources mentioned in an announcement, reporting the seven deaths.

The collapse occurred because the island hosted a competition celebrating its tiny Gullah-Geechee group, descendants of African folks as soon as enslaved on southern U.S. plantations.

Remoted on islands scattered alongside the southeastern U.S. coast, their ancestors relied on the land and sea. They created their very own tradition, fed by their African heritage, and even developed their very own Creole language.

Georgia Division of Pure Sources mentioned the incident was below investigation and didn’t supply potential causes of the collapse.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned native officers can be provided any federal help wanted by the group.

“Even within the face of this heartbreak, we are going to proceed to have a good time and honour the historical past, tradition, and resilience of the Gullah-Geechee group,” mentioned Ms. Harris in an announcement.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp mentioned he was “heartbroken” by the tragedy.

“We ask that each one Georgians be a part of us in praying for these misplaced, for these nonetheless in hurt’s method, and for his or her households,” he added on social media platform X.