CALIFORNIA — UPDATE: Investigators say it will be days or even weeks before we know exactly what happened and why.
The Mayor of Berkely says the investigation points to water-damaged wood, the AP reports.
Gene St. Onge, a civil structural engineer for 37 years tells ABC7 it’s clear what happened.
“The main, if not the only, cause of the problem is dry rot of the material, which is caused by water intrusion,” he said.
MORE: Five Irish citizens and one American woman were killed and at least 8 more were injured in a balcony collapse near the University of California, near Berkeley, early Tuesday morning.
Alameda County Sheriff’s J.D. Nelson said the dead were Ashley Donohoe, 22, of Rohnert Park; Olivia Burke, 21, Eoghan Culligan, 21, Niccolai Schuster, 21, Lorcan Miller, 21 and Eimear Walsh, 21, all from Ireland.
The tragedy occurred at a building on Kittredge Street and Harold Way around 1 a.m.
The accident happened at a birthday party at the 9-year-old apartment building, according to KRON 4. Some of the attendees were visiting on work visas for the summer, police told the outlet.
The fourth-floor balcony crashed to the sidewalk from the top of the four-story building around midnight local time, Berkeley Police spokeswoman Jennifer Coats told NBC News. She also said that the fire department and city officials have secured the area surrounding the collapse.
There were at least a dozen people on the balcony when it collapsed, according to the AP.
There were all from Ireland on a student exchange summer work program.
Officials have red tagged all the other balconies in the building as a safety precaution, according to Berkeley Police Officer Byron White.
The exact cause of the collapse is unknown. An investigation is ongoing.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charles Flanagan confirmed the deaths in a statement:
“It is with great sadness that I confirm that a number of young Irish citizens have lost their lives while a number of others have been seriously injured following the collapse of a balcony in Berkeley, California earlier today.
“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the deceased and those who have been injured in this appalling accident. My Department in Dublin stands ready to provide all possible consular assistance to the Irish citizens affected by this tragedy.
“Our Consul General in San Francisco is in close contact with the authorities and will be providing assistance to those affected on the ground.
“It is too early to know the full extent of this dreadful accident but I have opened my Department’s Consular Crisis Centre and activated our emergency response line so we can provide assistance and guidance to the families of those affected and to others who have concerns….”
Photo Source: AP/KTVU
