At least 20 people were tossed into the waters off Sapelo Island and an unknown number were injured, Georgia’s department of natural resources said in a statement, reporting the seven deaths.

The collapse happened as the island hosted a festival celebrating its tiny Gullah-Geechee community, descendants of African people once enslaved on southern US plantations.

Isolated on islands scattered along the southeastern US coast, their ancestors relied on the land and sea.

They created their own culture, fed by their African heritage, and even developed their own Creole language.

Georgia department of natural resources said the incident was under investigation and did not offer possible causes of the collapse.

US vice-president Kamala Harris said local officials would be offered any federal support needed by the community.

“Even in the face of this heartbreak, we will continue to celebrate and honour the history, culture, and resilience of the Gullah-Geechee community,” said Harris in a statement.

Georgia governor Brian Kemp said he was “heartbroken” by the tragedy.

“We ask that all Georgians join us in praying for those lost, for those still in harm’s way, and for their families,” he added on social media platform X.