Parking deck collapses onto underground garage at Parma apartment complex

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Parma firefighters responded overnight partial structure collapse of a Laurent Road apartment complex parking garage.

According to investigators, the top level of the parking deck collapsed onto the underground level of the garage just before midnight on Tuesday night.

A large portion of the parking deck can be seen resting on top of a car in video shared by the Parma Fire Department.

Firefighters faced a difficult scene searching for victims, under unstable ground and with water from busted lines spraying throughout the underground garage.

No injuries were reported. All residents and firefighters have been accounted for, according to officials.

“We were very fortunate that this incident did not result in any loss of life or injury,” Parma Fire Chief Michael Lasky said. “One of the residents whose vehicle was impacted had only recently returned to his residence where seconds later the parking deck collapsed.”

Nicholas Shultz was getting ready for bed when he heard noises outside that he could not place, and just as he went outside to investigate the ground gave way.

“It was just shock and awe, I guess nd trying to make sure no one was hurt,” he said.

Unfortunately for Schultz, his car was parked right where the ground gave out and was hanging, precariously, by its bumpers, from a rim rattling drop into the garage below.

Multiple callers to 911 worried that there were people in the garage or that the ground was unstable and that there was the potential for a further collapse or that the high rise was structurally damaged.

Firefighters however said the apartment complex itself was in no danger of collapsing and engineers are working to ensure any additional collapse does not occur at the garage.

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