Mayor of Berkeley supports criminal investigation 'if appropriate'
The Mayor of Berkeley says he would support a criminal investigation into how a balcony collapsed killing six Irish students on Monday night, if shoddy workmanship is found to be a factor.
Mayor Tom Bates says he will await the results of the investigation, which are due soon.
Seven Irish students remain in hospital in California - two are said to be in a critical condition - while the families of those who died will begin bringing home their bodies this weekend.
Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates says they will pursue the appropriate action necessary once the investigation is complete, but he has cautioned against jumping to conclusions.
He said: "So there's the question of design, there's the question of was it shoddy workmanship?, Was it innapropriate kinds of wood? Was there other factors that we're not aware of that caused this problem?"
"So I think we're going to have to take a deep breath and say we're going to find out soon, and once we do we'll pursue whatever appropriate action is called for."
