At least eight people were killed and several still remain unaccounted for after a tourist boat sank on a Missouri lake on Thursday, the local sheriff has said.
The boat capsized and sank into the Table Rock Lake near Branson at about 8:00 pm ET, during strong 60mph winds caused by thunderstorms. It was carrying 31 people. Apart from the deceased, seven people were rescued and hospitalized, Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said, as cited by local outlet Springfield News-Leader. A search operation is ongoing for the rest.
The capsizing was initially reported as a “mass casualty incident,” and the first fatality count was only announced some two hours later.
Rescue efforts are continuing into the night with divers working on the scene.
