Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
{vb:raw ozzmodz_postquote}:
Get the news
Log In or Subscribe to skip
175 7 [h=6]Share This Story![/h]Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about
[h=4]6 die in Calif. balcony collapse; victims were Irish[/h]At least five people, all believed to be Irish, have died in the collapse of an apartment building balcony near the University of California at Berkeley early Tuesday, police and Irish officials said.
{# #}
[h=4]Sent![/h]A link has been sent to your friend's email address.
[h=4]Posted![/h]A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.
[h=6]Join the Nation's Conversation[/h]To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs
[h=2]UP NEXT[/h][h=2]03[/h]
Six people died and others are in critical condition after a fourth floor balcony collapsed near the University of California at Berkeley. Authorities said the students were attending a 21st birthday party when the balcony collapsed. VPC
As media gather, a fourth floor balcony rests on the balcony below after collapsing at the Library Gardens apartment complex in Berkeley, Calif., early Tuesday. At least five people died in the collapse.(Photo: Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY)
BERKELEY, Calif. -- Six people died and others were seriously injured when a balcony collapsed at an apartment building near the University of California at Berkeley early Tuesday, authorities said.
At least seven people were injured, many of them with life-threatening wounds, said Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman for the Berkeley Police Department.
Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said the victims were Irish.
"Today is an horrific day for those who lost loved ones," Flanagan tweeted. "Students & families are at the centre of our thoughts & actions."
Irish officials said many of those at they party were in the United States on J-1 non-immigrant visas, which are given to those approved to participate in work-and-study based exchange visitor programs.
Irish broadcaster RTE reported that there was a 21st birthday party taking place in the apartment. The area is a popular destination for Irish students, the station said.
The Irish consul general in San Francisco, Phillip Grant, said 12 to 14 people, all between the ages of 20 and 22, had been on the balcony.
Police received a call shortly before 1 a.m. local time, Coats said. She said officers arrived at the Library Gardens complex to find a fourth-floor balcony had disintegrated and fallen on top of a balcony on the third floor.
Another police spokesperson, Byron White, said that the Berkeley PD had received a call for a noise complaint around midnight. Police did not respond, he said, adding that there are frequent complaints about noise in the areas near the university.
Police investigators are meeting with the building's manager, White said.
The building has apartments in the upper floors and retail shops on the ground floor. Greystar, the firm that manages the building, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Library Gardens describes itself on its website as "the premiere choice for convenient Berkeley apartments. Our beautifully landscaped community is located one block from the University of California, Berkeley campus, steps from the Berkeley Central Library, and a block from BART, AC Transit, shopping, restaurants and entertainment."
Gerald Robinson, 65, who took two injured victims to hospital after the collapse of a balcony in Berkeley, Calif.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY)
Sam Cacas, a resident of the apartment complex, said there are often rowdy parties in the buildings.
"There is not enough security and property management," he told USA TODAY, calling the incident "an accident waiting to happen."
"A tragedy could have been prevented," Cacas added, if there had been on-site supervision.
Gerald Robinson, 65, of Berkeley, said he had just left a movie and was in his car when a young man and woman with blood on them flagged him down. He said he drove them to Highland Hospital in Oakland and stayed with them for about an hour. Robinson said the woman, who had blood on her knees, and the man, who had blood on his shirt, were wracked with survivor's guilt.
"They were distraught. They were hanging on each other for comfort," he told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Sam Cacas, a resident of the Berkeley apartment where a balcony collapsed, killing at least five people.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY)
Dan Sullivan, 21, a University of Dublin student who lives on the first floor of the complex told the Oakland Tribune that the incident was "a shocker."
"We just heard a bang in the middle of night and shouting," he said, adding that some of the students work in local restaurants.
Mark Neville, another student from Ireland who lives in the building, told the Tribune that he was outside when he heard a loud noise.
"I saw rubble on the street, and a bunch of students crying," he said.
Authorities do not know what caused the collapse, Coats told NBC.
"We don't know what happened. Officers are on scene talking with people," she said.
A card and flowers are placed near the location of a balcony collapse in Berkeley, Calif., that killed at least five Irish students.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY)
The Irish ambassador to the United States, Anne Anderson, issued a statement offering her "heartfelt sympathy and condolence to the families, loved ones and friends of the Irish students who lost their lives."
Meanwhile, the U.S. ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O'Malley, tweeted: "Heartfelt sympathy & condolences to the families, friends & loved ones of the Irish students who lost their lives in Berkley (sic) this morning.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the families, loved ones, and friends at this difficult time."
The Irish government also opened a consular response line for concerned family and friends at (country code 353) 1 418 0200.
0) { %> 0) { %>
0) { %>
Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed