Balcony On A Fourth Floor Collapses In California Killing Five, Several Injured

 The balcony of a fourth floor flat in California has collapsed, killing five people and injuring eight, some seriously, police have said.

A number of young Irish citizens are among the dead, said Irish officials.

Police found the structure smashed on the street below after an emergency call at 01:00 local time (08:00 GMT) on Tuesday morning in Berkeley. See more photos after the cut

Officials are still unsure why it happened, said Jennifer Coats, a Berkeley Police Department spokeswoman.

Many of those hurt have life-threatening injuries, she said.

Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said young Irish people were among the dead.

He said it was "too early to know the full extent of this dreadful accident", but a crisis hotline had been set up.

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