Crews Continue Search for Victims in Parking Deck Collapse

ATLANTA -- Emergency workers were searching the rubble of a collapsed parking garage this morning to see if anyone was trapped inside, but there were still no reports of injuries or missing people.

A parking deck partially collapsed in Midtown Atlanta Monday afternoon, crushing several cars.

Emergency crews rushed to the collapse shortly after 12:30 p.m. at the Centergy Parking Deck near the intersection of Spring Street and Abercrombie Place -- in the Technology Square area near Georgia Tech.

J.P. Spillane, Atlanta police assistant commander of the zone where the deck is located, said there were signs of bolts popping on the other side and he was worried about "the entire soundness of the structure."

An Atlanta Fire Department spokesperson says a section of the deck collapsed from the fourth floor, taking out portions of the third, second and first levels. Crews on the scene said about 35 cars were affected by the collapse.

Businesses near the garage were taking head counts to ensure they were not missing any employees who may have had cars in the parking deck.

Stewart says there are no initial reports of injuries. But by early Monday evening, fire-rescue crews still had not entered the wreckage of the deck to search for anyone who might have been trapped.

Firefighters are working with engineers to determine the structural integrity of the building, and to ensure it would be safe for crews to enter.

Late Monday evening, officials said parts of the parking deck remained unstable, hampering efforts to enter the building and search for individuals in the wreckage.

The parking deck, which holds up to 1,500 vehicles, is connected to an education, high-tech research and business complex built by Georgia Tech and Kim King and Associates.

Hardin Construction was the primary contractor on the Centergy project. The parking deck was subcontracted to Greenville, S.C.-based Metromont Corporation, who, according to Hardin, was chosen because of their expertise in precast/prestressed concrete building systems.

Earlier this month, Hardin was fined $6,300 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in connection with the Botanical Garden bridge collapse. The agency's report concluded Hardin and another company placed two support towers too far from each other, which may have caused the collapse. The company is appealing the fine.

The parking deck was last inspected at the time it was built and cleared for occupancy, said Catherine Woodling, spokeswoman for Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. It has not had any code violations since, Woodling said.

Buildings in Atlanta are not re-inspected after they are cleared for occupancy unless a complaint is filed about a code violation, she said.

Shortly after 6:30 p.m., two loud sirens were heard after rescuers entered the building. Fire officials later said the rescuers were evacuated as a precaution.

Shaun Dodson, who was eating lunch in his car on the far side of the building during the noon hour, said it sounded like the deck was "being demolished."

"I ran around, saw a hole and thought the building was collapsing," he said.

There is no word at present as to the cause of the collapse.

The garage is closed, and those who have cars there will not be able to retrieve them for the forseeable future, as the investigation continues.

Spring Street is closed in the area of the building, and will remain closed through the evening hours. City officials said a portion of the street may be reopened in time for Tuesday morning's rush hour.