July 2, 2009

ATLANTA -- The owner has told an Atlanta television station that a support beam that fell out of place caused part of the midtown Atlanta parking deck to collapse.

David Tyndall of Gateway Development told WSB-TV that the horizontal beam, know as a spandrel, was designed to hold up floor sections of the deck.

He said when the beam popped out on Monday, it allowed sections of the fifth floor to collapse onto the floor below.

Tyndall said structural engineers will have to determine why it happened.

Atlanta Fire and Rescue spokesman Bobby Stewart said Wednesday 169 cars, including those not damaged, have been removed from the lot, but hundreds remain.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)