NEW YORK -- At least seven people died from the partial collapse of a ferry dock on Sapelo Island in the US state of Georgia on Saturday, according to local media.

It was reported that a gangway at the dock collapsed after being struck by a boat, plunging people who had gathered there for a celebration into the water.

Multiple people were taken to hospitals and authorities continued to search for survivors, said Tyler Jones, spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Sapelo Island, a state-protected barrier island in McIntosh County, Georgia, is accessible only by boat.