A young brother and sister died and several people were injured, some of them seriously, when a vehicle driven by a suspected drunken driver crashed into a young child’s birthday party on Saturday at a boat club, according to a Michigan sheriff.

An eight-year-old girl and her five-year-old brother died at the scene, when a 66-year-old woman crashed 25ft into the building at about 3pm at the Swan Creek Boat Club in Berlin Township, about 30 miles (48km) south of Detroit, the Monroe county sheriff, Troy Goodnough, said.

“The scene was described by the first responders as extremely chaotic, with a high level of emotions of those directly involved and those who witnessed this horrific incident,” he said.

Three children and six adults were taken to area hospitals by two helicopters or ambulances, some with life-threatening injuries, he said. Others injured were given first aid at the scene, and some of them were taken to hospitals by private vehicles.