Colorado: 1 killed, 12 trapped in accident at tourist mine

One person has died and 12 others remain trapped following an accident at Colorado’s Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine after an elevator malfunctioned, reports said.

The exact cause of the accident has not been ascertained.

So far 11 people including two children have been rescued from the former mine, which now serves as a tourist spot.

Addressing the press on Thursday, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said the 12 people are trapped at the bottom of the 1,000-feet deep mine.

He said the people were trapped after the elevator of the mine experienced a mechanical issue.

One of the trapped people is an employee of the mine and a former mine-rescue personnel. 

Considering the colder temperature in the mine, the trapped people have been sent water, blankets, chairs and a radio.

Plan B, Plan C in place for rescue: County sheriff

Mikesell said he hopes the elevator is intact but wants to ensure that it is safe to travel in before carrying out the rescue of the 12 trapped people.

“We want to inspect it, make sure it’s safe before bring them back up with it,”Mikesell said.

“We do have a Plan B and Plan C already set in place with rescue officers,” Associated Press quoted him as saying.

Tourist spot

The mine, dating back to the 1890s, has been operating as a tourist destination for the past 50 years. The last accident in the mine was reported in 1986.

During the hour-long tour of the mine, tourists are assured an underground experience that requires them to undergo a descent following which they are taken on a short ride in an underground rail car. They are then taken on foot for a quarter mile of flat and level walking to be shown how the gold mine worked while it was operational.

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While the mine is not claustrophobic, the tour website says that during the descent, the shaft is very close for around two minutes.