Crews searched through the rubble, but there were no reports of injuries.

The collapsed deck is a four-story structure in the rear of a business park in the 6100 block of Fairview Road, across from SouthPark Mall.

Barclay Downs Road is closed in the area. But nearby Fairview Road is open, and the traffic flow is flowing smoothly adjacent to the mall.

Eric Morrison of Medic said crews with the emergency medical service have no reports of patients.

The section of the deck fell about 8:20 a.m., at a time when many people were arriving for work at banking, insurance and other companies in the nearby office building. People working in those offices reported hearing a rumbling sound as the cement and metal caved in.

Charlotte fire Capt. Rob Brisley said the top two floors collapsed. He said firefighters from the special urban rescue team searched through the rubble, looking for possible victims. A man who works in the adjacent business park told WCNC-TV, the Observer's news partner, that the deck usually is filled with vehicles at that time of day.

An employee at a nearby investment office told The Observer that workers were evacuated for about 20 minutes but were allowed to return to work. She said her car was parked a short distance from where the collapse took place.

Video coverage from the scene showed a section -- about 30 feet wide and 100 feet long -- had collapsed.

"It's probably a bit larger than a basketball court," Brisley said. "You're looking at a portion of a fourth floor and a third floor that pancaked down."

WCNC-TV is reporting that vehicles parked on the first floor of the deck under the collapse appeared to be unscathed. Only a few vehicles were parked on the second floor, where there was some damage.

Brisley said engineers and other officials are surveying the wreckage, to determine what might have caused the collapse -- and whether adjacent portions of the deck are in danger. By 10:30 a.m., officials and nearby workers began removing some of the cars from undamaged portions of the deck.

This morning's incident comes five months after a portion of a parking deck collapsed across the street, at the SouthPark Mall. In that case, a car crashed into the deck, causing the collapse.

WCNC-TV contributed.