Ireland

Roommates in Berkeley collapse apartment sue

Berkeley balcony victims, clockwise from top left, Niccolai Schuster, Ashley Donohoe, Lorcan Miller, Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan and Eimear Walsh
Berkeley balcony victims, clockwise from top left, Niccolai Schuster, Ashley Donohoe, Lorcan Miller, Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan and Eimear Walsh Berkeley balcony victims, clockwise from top left, Niccolai Schuster, Ashley Donohoe, Lorcan Miller, Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan and Eimear Walsh

Three Irish women who left a balcony seconds before it collapsed, killing six college students, have sued the builders, owners and managers of the Berkeley building.

Reports say that Caroline Conlan, Cliodhna Maloney and Aisling Tallon filed their lawsuit last month in Alameda County Superior Court, alleging that the wooden balcony had poor workmanship and that warning signs of extensive water damage to the structure were ignored.

The three roommates say they could have been killed or injured.

Ms Conlan, Ms Maloney and Ms Tallon had moved into the apartment two weeks before the tragedy with their fourth roommate, Aoife Beary, who was celebrating her 21st birthday the night of the collapse.

Ms Beary fell, and was seriously injured.

Five of the students killed were Irish citizens working in California for the summer. The sixth was a Californian woman.