One person was killed, four others were injured and more than a dozen were trapped when an elevator malfunctioned at a former gold mine in Colorado, authorities said Thursday.
The 10 people removed from the mine included the dead and injured. According to CBS News. The group remaining underground reportedly includes children.
An elevator at the Molly Kathleen Gold Mine, a former mine and tourist attraction near the town of Cripple Creek, suffered mechanical failure about 500 feet (152 meters) below the surface. Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said the malfunction posed a “significant risk to participants” and resulted in one death.
The dozens remaining at the bottom of the mine are about 1,000 feet (305 meters) deep. Mikesell said they are in safe condition and are in contact with authorities.
First responders were trying to figure out how the elevator malfunctioned so they could safely extricate those trapped inside the mine. The Denver Post reported. Mikesell said there are other ways to rescue people other than the elevator, such as using ropes to pull the trapped person up, but he hopes the elevator can be restored. Mikesell said the last similar incident was in 1986.
“We have talent and engineers coming from the state of Colorado, local jurisdictions, mine safety, partner mines and fire departments.” CBS News I quoted Mikesell's words. “We have some of the best people in the country working on this problem right now. We hope we can solve it tonight.”
The Molly Kathleen Gold Mine was opened in the 19th century but closed in the 1960s. The former mine now offers tours.
According to the mine's website, the tour lasts about an hour. Visitors travel 100 floors underground.
At the mine, tour participants claim to see bands of gold in the rocks. There is also an underground tram.
“Entering the mine is like riding an elevator,” the website states. The trip down the shaft takes two minutes at a speed of 500 feet per minute, or about 5 miles per hour.
“While this may seem fast, many modern elevators travel at up to 23 miles per hour,” the mine's website states. said.
After descending from the mine, visitors walk approximately 1/4 mile, board a tram, then walk some more before returning to the surface.
Colorado Gov. Jared Policide and state officials were pouring resources into the scene.
“We will do everything in our power to assist the county in resolving the situation quickly and safely,” Polis said in a statement.
