CNN
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At least seven people were killed and several others injured on Saturday after part of a ferry pier collapsed on Georgia's Sapelo island Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

It came as crowds gathered on the island to celebrate the tiny Gullah-Geechee community of black slave descendants.

At least 20 people were plunged into the water when a gangway at the visitor ferry dock collapsed just before 4 p.m., Georgia DNR Capt. Chris Hodge said at a news conference Saturday evening. A McIntosh County commissioner previously said a boat hit the dock, but a DNR spokesman later told The Associated Press there was no collision and it was unclear why the dock collapsed.

Among the deceased was a DNR clergyman, Georgia DNR spokeswoman Melissa Cummings confirmed this to CNN.

Six people were critically injured and two people were flown by rescue helicopter to hospitals for treatment, Hodge said.

“The gangway was secured on Sapelo Island and the incident is currently under investigation,” the Georgia DNR said in its news release.

The DNR said several other emergency agencies assisted by deploying boats with side-scan sonar and helicopters for search and rescue missions.

The McIntosh County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post earlier Saturday that it was “working on an active situation on Sapelo Island” with multiple agencies. “We have set up a family reunification point at Elm Grove Baptist Church,” the post said. “We ask anyone looking for family members to please look there first.”

CNN has reached out to the McIntosh County Sheriff's Office, McIntosh County EMS and the U.S. Coast Guard for more information.

Both President Joe Biden and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in separate statements Saturday that they were “heartbroken” over news of the collapse.

“Jill and I mourn those who lost their lives and we pray for those injured and those still missing. We are also grateful to the first responders on the ground,” Biden said.

He added that the White House is in contact with state and local officials to provide any assistance that would be helpful to the community.

“As state and local first responders continue to work this active scene, we ask all Georgians to join us in praying for those lost, those still in danger, and their families,” Kemp said in a post on X.

The city of Darien said the accident turned the community's holiday into a tragedy. “Please pray for those who lost their lives today, for the families of those affected and for our community,” the city said in a Facebook post.

The Sapelo Island Cultural And Revitalization Society, which hosts the island's annual Cultural Day festival, also said it was “heartbroken” and grateful for the support people have shown.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured,” the nonprofit said in a Facebook post. “The Sapelo Island community is grateful for the love and support they have shown us, and we ask that you join us in praying for the families of those affected by this tragedy.”

Sapelo Island is a barrier island off the coast of Georgia that is only accessible by boat. According to Explore Georgia, there are around 70 full-time residents on the island. Most of them are descended from slaves who worked on plantations.

Ferries typically depart three times daily from the Sapelo dock and take visitors to the mainland dock in Meridian. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the island suffered severe damage during Hurricane Helene, including a six-day power outage.

This story has been updated with additional information.