Rot could be to blame for US balcony tragedy

Dry rot and overcrowding could be responsible for the collapse of a balcony at a California apartment building, sending six young Irish nationals plummeting to their deaths, media reports said Wednesday.

At least seven other people were injured in the accident in Berkeley, which took place in the early hours of Tuesday during a 21st birthday party.

"It appears to be a classic case of dry rot, meaning water intruded into the building (and) rotted the wood" supporting the balcony, civil and structural engineer Gene St Onge, who saw the damage, told The Los Angeles Times.

Five Irish citizens and an Irish-American woman, all aged either 21 or 22, died when the balcony buckled at a building two blocks from the University of California campus in the city.

The families of those involved were on their way to Berkeley.

The San Francisco Chronicle cited a member of the city committee that approved the construction of the building as saying the balconies were intended to be decorative, and not a space for entertaining groups of people.

"This was meant just to be a place where someone could stand out for a bit, get a breath of fresh air. Not for something like 13 people," said Carrie Olson, whose 14-year stint on the Berkeley Design Review Committee ended last year.

A spokesman for the city, Matthai Chakko, told the Los Angeles Times that an investigation was under way and that inspectors were looking into the state of the building, which was only finished in 2007.

Results would not be available for several days, he said.

- 'Searing grief' -

The Irish national flag flew at half-mast and parliament was suspended Wednesday in tribute to the six victims.

The students were all on the J1 work-study summer visa program, which allows them to teach, study, conduct research and work legally during their stay in the United States.

The New York Times meanwhile provoked anger and cries of insensitivity from readers and Irish officials in an article which took a critical look at the visa initiative.

The Times called the visa program "not just a source of aspiration, but a source of embarrassment for Ireland, marked by a series of high-profile episodes involving drunken partying and the wrecking of apartments in places like San Francisco and Santa Barbara."

Ireland's ambassador to Washington, Anne Anderson, wrote to the Times saying it had "caused deep offense" for implying that "the behavior of the students was in some way a factor in the collapse."

"At this time of searing grief, the messages of condolence and offers of support which are flooding in to the embassy and our consulates are balm to the soul. They reflect far more accurately the feelings of the American people than does your article."

Eileen Murphy, the paper's vice president for corporate communications, apologized in a statement to the Irish Examiner.

"We understand and agree that some of the language in the piece could be interpreted as insensitive, particularly in such close proximity to this tragedy," the Examiner reported Murphy as saying.

"It was never our intention to blame the victims and we apologize if the piece left that impression."

Margaret Sullivan, public editor at the Times, also wrote a personal column apologizing.

"I can say not only that I believe many of the complaints were valid, but also that I'm very sorry for the pain the story caused," Sullivan wrote on the newspaper's website.

"The thrust of the story was insensitive, and the reaction to it understandable."

Sullivan noted that, as public editor, she does not speak for the newsroom or the newspaper itself.

About 8,000 Irish students applied for the J1 program this year, with California the most popular destination.
Source: AFP