DENVER — One person is dead and 12 are trapped in a former gold mine in Colorado after an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist spot, authorities said Thursday.
The elevator descending to the Mollie Kathleen gold mine near the town of Cripple Creek had a mechanical problem about 500 feet (152 meters) below the surface, creating a “serious hazard to participants” and killing one person, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said at a press conference.
Twelve people are still at the bottom of the mine, which is about 1,000 feet (305 meters) below the surface. They are in safe conditions and communicating with authorities, Mikesell said. Rescue workers are working to get the elevator back online.
Mikesell declined to identify the victim or say how they died. Two children were involved, but it was unclear whether they were among the trapped children.
Eleven people involved in the elevator incident were rescued and four of them suffered minor injuries, Mikesell said.
The sheriff said they could rescue the trapped group with a rope if necessary, but hoped to get the lift system working safely. The state sent an elevator expert to the scene.
“We want to inspect it and make sure it’s safe before we take them back out there,” Mikesell said. “We have already drawn up a plan B and a plan C with rescuers.”
Authorities communicated with the captured group via radios, but the group was not informed of the extent of the elevator problem, said Mikesell, who added, “That’s because I want to keep people calm.”
Those captured included a member of the family’s mine operation who has experience in mine rescue, Mikesell said.
Rescuers are trying to assess whether the damage to the elevator could lead to another failure before sending it back down
Mikesell said the last time there was an incident was in the 1980s, but did not say what it was.
Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that the state was sending resources to the rescue effort.
“We will do everything possible and assist the province to ensure a quick and safe resolution of the situation,” Polis said.
The mine opened in the 19th century and closed in the 1960s, but still organizes guided tours. The mine’s website describes a one-hour tour that takes visitors down 100 stories into the earth. It says visitors can see gold veins in the rocks and ride an underground tram.
Cripple Creek is a town of approximately 1,100 residents located southwest of Colorado Springs.
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Brown reported from Billings, Mont.