Two groups of tourists were affected by an elevator malfunction that left four injured and one dead.

Officials reported that the lift experienced a mechanical issue around 500 feet below the surface.

Authorities in Colorado rescued several people trapped 1,000 feet underground inside the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine Tour in Cripple Creek on Thursday.

Twelve adults were trapped around 300 meters below ground level for six hours

At least one person is dead and others are injured after an equipment malfunction trapped nearly two dozen people underground in a Colorado tourist mine, Teller County sheriff’s officials said Thursday.

Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said during a night-time briefing that authorities do not know yet what caused the malfunction and an investigation is underway.

Authorities say 12 people have been safely rescued after being trapped for hours at the bottom of a former Colorado gold mine when an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist site. One person died in the accident Thursday.

An equipment failure at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near Cripple Creek had stranded 12 people who were on a tour underground for hours.

One person is dead and 12 are trapped 1,000ft underground after a lift malfunctioned at a former Colorado gold mine.

Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine closed in the 1960s and is now a tourist attraction

The ride to the bottom takes about two minutes and visitors can see veins of gold in the rock and ride an underground tram, according to the mine's website.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department are on the scene having been called to the area just after 1pm as well as the Teller County Sheriff's Office.

One person has been killed after a lift failure at a former gold mine turned tourist attraction, Colorado's governor says.