We have a Berkeley balcony collapse update: due to their neglect of the structure of the building, the contractors have now lost their licence to build. And rightfully so: their failure to adhere to building plans caused the deaths of six Irish students after the balcony of the student accommodation collapsed.
Seque Construction, the building contractors, were accused of "willfully departing from trade standards" and "willfully disregarding building plans" in the construction of the Library Gardens apartment complex. Forensic evidence suggested that dry rot was responsible for the collapse of the balcony.
The company is also unable to apply for a licence for five years and the management of the company will have to reimburse the board of investigators nearly €115,000 for the cost of the investigation. Dozens of people hurt by the balcony collapse and the victims of the families are currently taking legal actions against the management, construction company and maintenance through the California court system.
Two years ago, in June of 2015, many of us will remember the shock of learning a fourth-floor balcony collapsed and killed 6 students, 4 of which were only 21, and injured seven others. Irish students Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai Schuster, Loran Miller, Eimear Walsh, Olivia Burke and Olivia's Irish-American cousin Ashley Donohoe all lost their lives.
Hopefully this latest decision means something like this will not happen again.
Advertisement
Also read: There's Finally Some Really Positive News About The Legalisation Of Abortion In Ireland
