CNN
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At least seven people died on Saturday after part of a ferry pier collapsed on the Georgian island of Sapelo Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Several others were taken to hospitals, according to the Associated Press said, citing Tyler Jones, a spokesman for the Georgia DNR.

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

The deck collapsed around 4:30 p.m. after a boat hit the dock, a McIntosh County commissioner told CNN affiliate WTOC. Several people fell into the water after the collapse.

Jones said he didn’t know what caused the gangway to collapse, but officials believe there were at least 20 people on the gangway at the time, according to CNN affiliate WSB.

A DNR chaplain was among the dead, Jones told the AP.

It is not yet clear how many people were injured, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said in a news release.

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, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Coast Guard for additional information.

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

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

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said he was “heartbroken” about the news.

“Marty, the girls and I are heartbroken by today’s tragedy on Sapelo Island,” Kemp said in a post on “For those lost, for those still in danger and for their families.”

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 is a developing story and will be updated.