BERKELEY (KRON) — Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates issued a statement today after reports he attributed water damage as the cause of the fatal balcony collapse that killed 6 people and injured 7 early Tuesday morning.
In his statement, the Mayor said, “It was speculation on my part about possible water damage to the wood supports for the balcony. That is not an official conclusion. I am not a structural engineer and am not qualified to make a judgment. We are still awaiting the outcome of the thorough investigation that is underway.”
The accident happened around 12:41 a.m. during a 21st birthday celebration inside the Library Gardens apartments at 2020 Kittredge St., according to Berkeley police.
Five 21-year-old Irish students who were in the U.S. on work visas were killed along with a 22-year-old Rohnert Park woman.
13 people fell about 40 feet onto the street after a fourth floor balcony collapsed. Four people died at the scene, two died later at the hospital.
There is no official word on the cause of the collapse, but according to reports, all the balconies in the complex were red-tagged and deemed unsafe before the accident.
Stay with KRON 4 as this story develops.