Berkeley tragedy: Two countries in mourning

The balcony below the one that collapsed, killing six young students, including five Irish, was removed yesterday after being branded an immediate “collapse hazard” by Berkeley city inspectors.

The move came after experts identified dry rot of the wood supports as the main cause of Tuesday’s early morning collapse that killed the students and left seven others injured, two of whom were still in a serious condition last night.

Family of the dead and injured, arriving in the San Francisco Bay Area, were given details on the investigation into the tragedy.