A group of visiting Irish college students had never thought that a birthday party they were enjoying would turn out so disastrous. They all were partying at the fifth-floor balcony when it collapsed and they all went down 500 feet onto the pavement. Six people died and seven were severely injured.

Investigation is on to know the reason as to why the small balcony broke from the stucco apartment building. During the investigation, it will be seen whether the balcony was built to code, whether or not it was overloaded and whether rain or any other factor has weakened it.

It is considered that balconies can be exposed to the elements, so deterioration can play a part.

City officials and one structural engineer said that a probable reason could be it might have been overloaded, as it was holding 13 people.

Among the ones who died include 21-year-olds from Ireland who were in the country on J-1 visas that allow youngsters to work and travel in the US over summer and the sixth victim was from California.

The accident has led to grief in Ireland. Even, the country’s consul general in San Francisco called it a ‘national tragedy’. Police said that it has received complaint about a loud party in the apartment around an hour before the incident took place.

The pavement was strewn with rubble and the red plastic cups were there that are considered to be quite normal at college parties. The US government’s J-1 program brings 100,000 college students to the nation annually.