Irish among dead in balcony collapse

Walter Cronc · June 16, 2015, 01:02:47 PM

Sad news coming from California. RIP.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/several-irish-dead-as-balcony-in-california-collapses-1.2251255

AZOffaly · June 16, 2015, 01:06:40 PM

Jesus that sounds horrendous. RIP to them, God help their families. Probably over on J1s a lot of them. Muck Savage, are you near there?

Norf Tyrone · June 16, 2015, 01:22:50 PM

News now stating all 5 dead were Irish.

Awful news.

Gabriel_Hurl · June 16, 2015, 01:24:42 PM

Quote from: AZOffaly on June 16, 2015, 01:06:40 PM
Jesus that sounds horrendous. RIP to them, God help their families. Probably over on J1s a lot of them. Muck Savage, are you near there?

they were

QuoteIrish Victims were celebrating a 21st birthday party when the apartment balcony collapsed in Berkeley. Victims here on work visa for summer.

AZOffaly · June 16, 2015, 01:25:04 PM

All the injured are Irish too it seems. Looks like just too many people out on the balcony and it detached from the wall. Jesus. God help their families back here.

Bingo · June 16, 2015, 01:26:00 PM

Terrible tragedy and could be from any community in Ireland.

If they J1 students you'd expect that they are all Irish. RIP.

ballinaman · June 16, 2015, 01:27:12 PM

Shocking. Spent a week up in Berkley when I did my J1 in San Diego back in 2007.

RIP

AZOffaly · June 16, 2015, 01:31:26 PM

news feed here...

http://abc7news.com/live/

I saw a lad in a Fermanagh jersey chatting to some people outside in the background. Looks like a classic irish student apartment.

Walter Cronc · June 16, 2015, 01:36:00 PM

Ye never really think about numbers on balcony's I suppose.

13 (5+8) on it, would that be considered overloading?

Frig maybe it shouldn't be discussed now.

J70 · June 16, 2015, 02:06:15 PM

Look like small balconies, so maybe 14 people was too many. Could be exacerbated if people were dancing or jumping around at a party. Poor kids. Hope the rest pull through.

Gabriel_Hurl · June 16, 2015, 02:06:41 PM

There only looks to be 2 balconies on the whole building - there was maybe people on each balcony?

macdanger2 · June 16, 2015, 02:10:17 PM

Awful sad for the families

Esmarelda · June 16, 2015, 02:10:22 PM

Quote from: Gabriel_Hurl on June 16, 2015, 02:06:41 PM
There only looks to be 2 balconies on the whole building - there was maybe people on each balcony?

Just noticed that.

From other pics it looks like their balcony swung down ninety degrees on to the balcony below and threw everyone from there down to the footpath.

It looks like they were on the third floor and then thrown from the second floor.

JohnDenver · June 16, 2015, 03:34:02 PM

Just so happens to be the 2nd anniversary of Kevin Bell today. The repatriation trust should be a big help here to those families effected when the time comes to even think of such arrangements.

Muck Savage · June 16, 2015, 03:41:44 PM

Quote from: AZOffaly on June 16, 2015, 01:06:40 PM
Jesus that sounds horrendous. RIP to them, God help their families. Probably over on J1s a lot of them. Muck Savage, are you near there?

Nuts. RIP and thoughts to all their families.

I live about 50 mile south in San Jose. A lot of J1'ers head here due to the difficulty in getting an apartment in SF (Cost and Availability). In Berkley all the College kids are out for the summer so lots of availability and lower cost for the summer months. Have seen in the past houses/apartments with a huge amount of J1'ers in them, when I was over on my J1 I was in a house with 21 people. Seems like this was a party.
Sad, Sad news for some families, my heart goes out to them.