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At Least 11 Dead after Missouri Tourist Boat Accident

The Latest on a deadly tourist boat accident in Missouri (all times local):

12:30 a.m.

A Missouri sheriff says at least 11 people have now been confirmed dead after a boat carrying tourists on a lake in a popular vacation city capsized and sank.

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader says seven people have been hospitalized and five others remain missing. He says divers have ended their search of Table Rock Lake in Branson for the night.

The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter that investigators will arrive on the scene Friday morning.

Rader says stormy weather is believed to be what caused the Ride the Ducks boat to capsize Thursday night.

National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Lindenberg says the agency issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Branson area Thursday evening. He says winds reached speeds of more than 60 mph.

Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists looking for entertainment ranging from theme parks to live music.

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9:50 p.m.

A sheriff in Missouri says a tourist boat has apparently capsized on a lake, leaving eight people dead and several others hospitalized.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader says the accident occurred Thursday night after a Ride the Ducks tourist boat reportedly sank on Table Rock Lake.

Rader says an off-duty sheriff's deputy working security helped rescue people. He says recovery efforts are ongoing, with some passengers still unaccounted for.

A dive team is assisting.

Rader says weather is believed to have caused the boat to capsize.

Source: Associated Press


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