Five dead, eight injured in California balcony collapse

[June 16, 2015]  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Five people were killed and eight injured when an apartment balcony collapsed early on Tuesday in the Californian city of Berkeley, police said.

The survivors' injuries were "very serious and potentially life-threatening," Berkeley Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Coats said. Callers first reported the collapse at the multi-story block in the downtown area of the college city near San Francisco at around 12:45 a.m. local time, she added. Coats said police were working with the fire department and city officials to work out what caused the collapse. (Reporting by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Andrew Heavens) [© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.