The tourist city of Branson, Missouri saw a tourist boat capsize and claim the lives of 17 people around 1am Friday morning Irish time.
Children were among the dead, although authorities have not provided an exact breakdown of the victims on the “duck boat”.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader told local media today that the number of fatalities had risen to 17 after the bodies of four people who had been missing were recovered. Seven people were being treated at a hospital, one with severe injuries that were not considered life-threatening, the sheriff’s office added.
Severe thunderstorms generating winds of up to 60 mph moved through the area when the Ride the Ducks boat encountered trouble around 1am Irish time.
Nine people from the same family have now been confirmed dead with one survivor, according to US media, claiming that the captain said they didn’t need to wear life-jackets.