12 People Trapped In Colorado Gold Mine After Deadly Equipment Failure—Here’s What We Know

Topline

A tourist gold mine in Colorado experienced an elevator malfunction Thursday that left one person dead and trapped 12 others 1,000 feet beneath the surface, according to local authorities, who are aiming to make a successful rescue by this evening.

Key Facts

Visitors of Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, Colorado, were onboard an elevator about 500 feet below ground level when it malfunctioned, leaving one person dead, four people injured and 12 others who already used the elevator stranded, according to ABC Denver, which cited a press conference update from Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell.

Those onboard the elevator after the incident were rescued, though it remains unclear how the one unidentified person was killed.

The people trapped in the mine are with a worker and have access to chairs, water and blankets, Mikesell said.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement Thursday there are state and local authorities on the scene, adding they will look to “ensure a speedy and safe resolution of the situation.”

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How Will Those Trapped In The Mine Be Freed?

Authorities are attempting to figure out what happened to the elevator and if it can safely be used to bring up the stranded people, with rope teams from the Colorado Springs Fire Department being considered as a backup plan, according to Mikesell.

Key Background

The Mollie Kathleen gold mine, about a two-hour drive south of Denver, provides visitors with a one-hour tour stretching 1,000 feet beneath the surface. The mine was founded in the 1800s and closed in the 1960s, when its owners decided tour revenues would be used to maintain the mine in case it could one day be used for gold production again, according to the mine’s website. The website also recommends visitors bring jackets suitable for temperatures of about 50 degrees. Mikesell said the mine had not experienced an incident since 1986.

Further Reading

1 dead, 12 trapped 1,000 feet underground after equipment malfunction at Teller County mine (ABC Denver)

One dead, a dozen others trapped inside Colorado tourist mine after equipment malfunction (Denver Gazzette)