8 dead in tourist boat capsize in US

At least eight persons have died and over 10 injured in a tourist boat accident in the US state of Missouri, said an official.

According to Southern Stone County Fire Protection spokesman Eric Nielsen, the incident occurred on Thursday on the Table Rock Lake near Branson, CNN reported.

There were more than 20 people onboard when it capsized, Nielsen said.

"We did have a severe thunderstorm, not sure if that is the contributing factor," he added. "There is a lot of storm debris."

A spokeswoman for Ripley Entertainment, the parent company of Ride the Ducks Branson, said the company is in contact with their employees at the scene.

Suzanne Smagala-Potts said the company had acquired the vessel not long ago that was involved in the incident, the CNN report added. There were other boats on the lake that returned to the dock safely.

Divers representing various agencies were on scene to assist with the investigation and recovery.

At least six patients were treated at CoxHealth Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Kaitlyn McConnell said. She, however, did not comment on the nature of the victims' injuries.

The rescue operation is still on.

--IANS

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