The families of the five Irish students who died after an apartment block balcony collapsed in Berkeley, California yesterday have begun their heartbreaking trip to the States.

The accident which occurred yesterday during a 21st birthday party claimed the lives of five young Irish people, who had travelled to California on J1 visas this summer, as well as a cousin of one of the students who holds dual Irish-US nationality.

The names of the six students whose lives were lost in the freak accident have been released; they were Ashley Donohue from California; Olivia Burke, Eimear Walsh, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai Schuster and Loracan Miller; all with addresses in Ireland.

A number of other party guests are currently being treated in hospitals in the San Francisco Bay area, some of whom are believed to be in a critical condition.
 


Opening up about the circumstances which resulted in his daughter, Clodagh's, hospitalisation, Niall Cogley said: "From what I understand there was a 21st, and there was a bunch of them on a balcony, either getting some air, or dancing, or whatever you do at a 21st. Then it just fell from the sky and they all ended up on the street, some fatally injured."

Officials in Berkeley have ordered a structural assessment of the building's balconies in the Library Garden complex and have asserted they will do their utmost to ascertain how and why the accident occurred.

Commenting on the tragedy, Philip Grant, the Irish consul in San Francisco said: "There are very many questions we would like to know the answers to, but right at the moment what we are concentrating on finding out how everybody is, to make sure that all those who needs to know how their loved ones are, are informed."
 


Speaking to the US media, Mr. Grant emphasised the small size of the students' native country, saying: "Very few of us have been left untouched by this tragedy."

As a mark of respect to the victims, the tricolour is to be flown at half mast on Government Buildings today while a Book of Condolence will be opened at Dublin's Mansion House from 10am tomorrow morning.


 

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