"We did have a severe thunderstorm, not sure if that is the contributing factor," Southern Stone County Fire Protection spokesman Eric Nielsen was quoted as saying by KTXL-TV broadcaster. "There is a lot of storm debris," Nielsen added.
'Mass casualty incident' reported at Table Rock Lake involving boat near Branson, Missouri https://t.co/VHCUI4I5WS pic.twitter.com/nKYY8kTCjm
— KMOV (@KMOV) 20 июля 2018 г.
"It will be a challenging night and into tomorrow," Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader was quoted as saying by NBC News, adding that at least seven people were being treated at local hospitals.
Meanwhile, a duck boat capsized on Table Rock Lake in Missouri during a severe thunderstorm, killing at least 11 people, some of them children, CNN reported, citing local authotities.
BREAKING: Divers searching for survivors after a duck boat capsized on Table Rock Lake in Missouri, 31 people were on board (including children). Sheriff confirms multiple fatalities. These are pictures of the duck boats from the company's website. #Boston25 pic.twitter.com/aKNtQUtSTL
— Mike Saccone (@mikesacconetv) 20 июля 2018 г.
Stone County Sheriff also said that divers were on the scene from various agencies are still scouring the waters for potential victims. According to Reuters, "Ride the Ducks", a company in Branson, Missouri that operates duck vehicles in the area, did not immediately comment on the incident.
Amphibious vehicles have been reportedly involved in a number of fatal incidents around the the world in the past years, with some of them sinking or being swamped, or colliding with other vehicles.
#Breaking The @StoneCountyFire posted this video from the scene and the Stone County, MO Sheriff confirms 8 are dead, 7 people have been taken to the hospital and there are still several people missing after a duck boat capsized and sank on Table Rock Lake near Branson, MO. pic.twitter.com/8x6pdQyzJ7
— Garrett Fergeson (@Garrett_Photo) 20 июля 2018 г.
