Collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida
Collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, FloridaChandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Rescue efforts at the partially collapsed Florida condominium were halted Thursday over concerns that the rest of the structure could collapse, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference.

A large part of the 12-story building collapsed early last Friday morning. Rescue workers have pulled 18 bodies from the wreckage so far, but 145 people are still missing.

The stoppage of the rescue work comes as US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived in Miami to visit the site of the disaster and meet with the families of the victims and missing persons.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Raide Jadallah told the concerned families on Wednesday that officials feared the rest of the building was in danger of collapsing, putting rescue workers in danger.

“What we know is that the columns on the east side of the building are kind of, of concern, not compromised, but just right now of concern,” Jadallah said. “Hypothetically, worst-case scenario: If these columns are truly really bad, we are worried they could collapse right back into the parking garage.”