At least seven people were killed on Saturday when a pedestrian bridge collapsed on a pier where a crowd of people had gathered for celebrations on Sapelo Island in Georgia, southeastern United States, according to local authorities.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said in a statement: “At least twenty people fell into the water when the pedestrian bridge collapsed. At present, the number of victims has reached seven and the number of injured is unknown.”
The crowd gathered on the pier where the ferries connect this island, so close to the Atlantic coast, to the continental dock for an event for the small Gullah Geechee community, descendants of African people who were enslaved on coastal plantations in the South. He is from the United States.
“What should have been a joyful celebration of Gullah Geechee culture and history turned into a tragedy,” a White House press release quoted US President Joe Biden as saying.
He expressed his thanks to the rescuers, saying that his team would remain in contact with local authorities and would be “ready to provide any necessary assistance.”
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of Incident
Local authorities said the investigation is ongoing.
Isolated on plots of land and mangroves scattered along the ocean, the Gullah Geechee ancestors relied on the resources of the land and sea, and they created their own culture, fed by their ancestry, and even the Creole language.
