A boat carrying tourists on a Missouri lake capsized and sank on Thursday night, killing at least eight people, the local sheriff said.

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said seven people were taken to hospital and several others remained missing after a Ride the Ducks boat sank on Table Rock Lake in Branson.

The exact number of those missing was not immediately available.

A spokeswoman for the Cox Medical Centre Branson said four adults and three children arrived at the hospital shortly after the incident. Two adults were in a critical condition and the others were treated for minor injuries, Brandei Clifton said.

Rescue crews work at the scene of the incident
Rescue crews work at the scene of the incident (Andrew Jansen/The Springfield News-Leader via AP)

Mr Rader said stormy weather was believed to be the cause of the capsizing. The National Weather Service tweeted that wind gusts of 63mph were reported around 7.30pm local time (1.30am BST) at Branson Airport.

He also said an off-duty sheriff’s deputy working security for the boat company helped rescue people after the accident.

Multiple dive teams from a number of law enforcement agencies were assisting in the rescue and recovery effort. Mr Rader said crews would stay on the scene all night.

“It’s going to be a challenging night and tomorrow,” the sheriff said.