Berkeley balcony collapse

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Berkeley balcony collapse
Berkeley balcony collapse
DateJune 16, 2015
Location Berkeley, California, U.S.
Coordinates 37°52′05.5″N122°16′10.5″W / 37.868194°N 122.269583°W / 37.868194; -122.269583
Deaths7
Non-fatal injuries6

On June 16, 2015, shortly after midnight, five Irish J-1 visa students and one Irish-American died and seven others were injured when a balcony on which they were standing collapsed. [1] The group was celebrating a 21st birthday party in Berkeley, California. The balcony was on the 5th floor of an eight-year-old [2] apartment building at 2020 Kittredge Street in Berkeley, then called Library Gardens. The district attorney of Alameda County launched a criminal probe into the incident. [3] In January 2022, one of the injured died from a stroke related to the injuries. [2]

Contents

In June of 2015, Berkeley mayor Tom Bates initiated an investigation into the cause of the collapse. Evidence from the investigation showed the wooden joists failed due to dry rot from improper construction. [4]

Victims

The immediate aftermath of the 2015 Berkeley balcony collapse WH6W9711.jpg
The immediate aftermath of the 2015 Berkeley balcony collapse

Six people died in the immediate aftermath of the collapse. They were identified as 22-year-old Ashley Donohoe, and Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai "Nick" Schuster, Lorcán Miller and Eimear Walsh, all aged 21. All six were Irish and from Dublin. [5] On 2 January 2022, survivor Aoife Beary died of a stroke, the consequence of injuries sustained in the collapse. [2]

Investigation

The rotted-off stubs of the LVL joists that had supported the balcony. WH6W9816.jpg
The rotted-off stubs of the LVL joists that had supported the balcony.

Alameda County prosecutors opened up an investigation in the accident on June 25. They stated that involuntary manslaughter charges could be filed. [6] On that day, District Attorney Nancy O'Malley denied that pressure from the Irish community led to the collapse inquiry. On July 3, 2015, the Alameda County Superior Court rejected a restraining order bid by Segue Builders, a construction company, against the examination of evidence. O'Malley had argued the granting of a restraining order would interfere with her duty to investigate the tragedy. [7]

Aftermath

On September 18, 2018, a law was signed requiring inspection of a 15% sampling of exterior load-bearing structures with wooden supports on apartment buildings every 6 years. [8]

Funerals

A joint funeral service for Olivia Burke and her cousin Ashley Donohoe took place on June 20, four days after the collapse, in a church in Cotati, California. Funeral services were held in Dublin for the other victims. [9]

Litigation


2020 Kittredge Street in 2017. The collapsed balconies were located in the area inside the red box. IMAG4085-library-gardens-k-street-flats-balcony-location.jpg
2020 Kittredge Street in 2017. The collapsed balconies were located in the area inside the red box.

In December 2015 a court was told that the collapse happened because contractors cut corners to save costs and that the management company for the building, Greystar Real Estate Partners, ignored a "red flag" when students who rented the apartment complained about mushrooms growing on the balcony. Legal cases by some of the victims were set to be combined and heard together. By the end of 2017 it was reported that most of the lawsuits had been settled. [10] [11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Six Irish students killed and six seriously injured in California balcony collapse". evoke.ie. June 16, 2015. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Berkeley balcony collapse survivor Aoife Beary dies". irishtimes.com. January 2, 2022. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Alameda County DA's office to lead criminal probe into Berkeley balcony collapse". mercurynews.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  4. ↑ McGreevy, Ronan. "Unstable materials caused 2015 Berkeley balcony collapse - report". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  5. ↑ Rodriguez, Olga. "Cousins killed in Berkeley balcony collapse had twin bond" Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine . Yahoo News. 20 June 2015.
  6. ↑ Elias, Paul. "Prosecutor: Balcony collapse could bring manslaughter charges" Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine . Yahoo News. 25 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Court rejects restraining order bid over Berkeley". RTÉ News . July 2, 2015. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  8. ↑ "3 years after Berkeley tragedy, new law requires apartment balcony inspection". September 18, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Berkeley victims remembered at Dublin funerals". Irish Examiner . June 24, 2015. Archived from the original on July 5, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Some lawsuits connected to 2015 deadly balcony collapse have been settled". May 6, 2017. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Deadly Berkeley Balcony Collapse Lawsuit Settled". November 22, 2017. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
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