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Donation Page For Berkeley Balcony Victims Goes Viral, Raises $215,000

BERKELEY (CBS SF) - Last week's deadly Berkeley balcony collapse that killed six people and injured seven others has spurred an outpouring of support from the Bay Area to Ireland.

A GoFundMe campaign for the victims of last week's balcony collapse in Berkeley has now raised over $215,000. The Irish Immigration Pastoral Center started the page with a goal of raising $50,000.

As of Tuesday morning, 1,934 people had donated $215,171.

"Thank you for the incredible support this week. We know many of you felt deeply touched by this unimaginable tragedy," reads a message on the campaign page. "Your tax-deductable donations will be used to support and assist the immediate needs of the families and students in Berkeley."

Meantime, friends of one of the women who was killed in the collapse were able to fly home to Dublin for her funeral, thanks to a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $10,000.

The Irish consulate in San Francisco issued a statement Saturday on behalf of the families of victims Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan, Lorcan Miller, Niccolai Schuster and Eimear Walsh, who were all Irish nationals, according to the Irish Consulate.

Those five victims were here in the U.S. on J-1 visas, which allows visitors to participate in work and study-based exchange programs.

"We would like to thank everyone in America and Ireland for their sympathy and support, which has been a tremendous comfort to us at this tragic time," the Irish Consulate said in the statement.

Six people, including four Irish exchange students, were killed last Tuesday when a balcony snapped off the fifth floor of an apartment complex located at 2020 Kittredge St in Berkeley. Thirteen people were tossed onto the street 50 feet below. Seven people are hospitalized.

Investigators believe the cause of the collapse may have been because of water damage to the wood that supports the balcony, however they are have not confirmed the theory and are still investigating.

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