A balcony collapse in Berkeley, California, around 1 a.m. on Tuesday left five dead and eight injured.
Police spokesman Bryon White said that 13 people fell from the fourth floor of an apartment building located near the University of California, Berkeley. A number of the victims were "young Irish citizens," Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed additionally.
According to The Associated Press, Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan said he believes all five killed were Irish, and that four died instantly while another died at the hospital. Flanagan said the Irish consul general in San Francisco is providing assistance to those affected.
The U.S. Ambassador to Ireland spoke out on Twitter shortly after the incident, sending his condolences.
Officer Jennifer Coats, a spokeswoman with the Berkeley Police Department, said that an investigation into what caused the collapse is still underway, and that several people being treated for injuries are in critical condition.
"We don't know what happened. Officers on scene are talking with people," she said.
It was unclear if all of those who died fell from the apartment, as the building has retail shops at ground level. It's possible victims included pedestrians who were walking along the sidewalk.
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