Colorado mine: One dead and 23 rescued after “equipment malfunction” leaves dozens trapped underground

One person died and 23 others had to be rescued after an accident left them trapped in an 1,000-foot-deep gold mine in Colorado.

“I am relieved that 12 of the people trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Mine have been safely rescued. “Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the individual lost in this incident,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement Thursday night, as per CNN.An “equiptment malfunction” sparked the emergecy efforts, with the sheriff’s office confirming early on Thursday afternoon that “the mine did not collapse”

Four others recieved treatment for minor injuries after being rescued.

The 1,000-foot mine is advertised as a tourist site to learn about mining in the “Old West.”

Key Points

• Breaking: Multiple tourists trapped underground after failure in Colorado mine, reports say

• What caused Colorado gold mine incident?

• What we know about the people in the Colorado mine incident

• Governor’s office weighs in on Colorado mining incident

• People stranded in Colorado mine

Breaking: Multiple tourists trapped underground after failure in Colorado mine, reports say

Thursday 10 October 2024 23:52 , Josh Marcus

One person has died and 12 people remain trapped underground at a Colorado gold mine after an equipment failure on Thursday afternoon.

The incident happened at the Mollie Kathleen Mine in Cripple Creek, the Teller County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The mine has not collapsed.

At least 11 people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation remains underway. Officials have said there are injuries.

Michelle Del Rey is reporting live.

Multiple tourists trapped underground after failure in Colorado mine, reports say

People stranded in Colorado mine

Thursday 10 October 2024 23:50 , Josh Marcus

An apparent equipment malfunction has stranded a group inside of a defunct Colorado gold mine used as a tourist site.

Local officials said one person has died, 11 have been rescued, and 12 remain trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek.

We’ll be following the latest news about the incident live.

Governor’s office weighs in on Colorado mining incident

Thursday 10 October 2024 23:51 , Josh Marcus

Colorado governor Jared Polis is closely monitoring the ongoing emergency incident at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine.

Here’s what he said of the situation so far on X.

Colorado Springs Fire Department assisting with mine rescue

Friday 11 October 2024 00:03 , Josh Marcus

The Colorado Springs Fire Department is among the multiple local and state agencies assisting with rescuing those trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, the agency has announced.

What caused Colorado gold mine incident?

Friday 11 October 2024 00:07 , Josh Marcus

Police are providing more details about what led a group of visitors to become trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine on Thursday.

An elevator taking tourists into the mine suffered a mechanical issue, according to the Teller County Sheriff’s Office.

Eleven people, including two children, were rescued via a trolley car, the office told the KOAA news station, while one person died in the original incident.

State engineers will inspect the elevator for safety before it’s put back in use.

What’s the history of the Mollie Kathleen Mine?

Friday 11 October 2024 00:12 , Josh Marcus

The mine at the center of today’s incident was discovered in 1891 and in operation until 1961, according to Colorado Public Radio.

Visitors to the mine, now a tourism destination, use a cable-powered lift to enter the site, where they participate in a one-hour walking tour.

“Mollie Kathleen’ s tour operation offers a rare glimpse into Colorado mining history, and, as a deep shaft tour operation is both rare, and, particularly vulnerable to ventilation and other issues. Our tour level is an underground museum of Colorado mining history, mechanics and tools,” according to state documents about the mine obtained by CPR.

What it looks like inside the Mollie Kathleen mine

Friday 11 October 2024 00:15 , Josh Marcus

At least 12 people are trapped in a defunct Colorado gold mine used for historical tours.

Photographer Ted Silvius, who visited the mine a few years ago, shared photos on X of what it looks like inside the 1,000 foot-deep cavern.

‘My hope is that we can have it resolved tonight'

Friday 11 October 2024 00:25 , Josh Marcus

Officials hope they can rescue the 12 people who remain trapped in a Colorado mine by the end of the day.

An elevator issue stranded the group.

Police say that if it can’t be restored back to safe operation, ropes teams will bring the remaining people up. Eleven people have already been rescued.

“We have people and engineers from the state of Colorado, from our local jurisdictions, mine safety, from our partnering mine right over here, our fire departments,” Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell told CBS News Colorado. “We have the best people in the country that are here working on this issue right now, and my hope is that we can have it resolved tonight.”

Mine tour considered one of safest in world, sheriff says

Friday 11 October 2024 00:36 , Josh Marcus

The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine is one of the safest mining tourism experiences in the world, according to Colorado officials.

Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said Thursday there have been no recent safety incidents at the mine, KDVR reports.

What we know about the people in the Colorado mine incident

01:02 , Josh Marcus

A large group of people was trapped underground Thursday at a Colorado mine used for historical tours.

Here’s what we know about the people impacted:

Twelve people reportedly remain inside the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine, including 11 visitors and a tour guide.

Those inside have water, chairs, and blankets, and are in radio communication with first responders on the surface.

Eleven others have been rescued, including two children, who are getting mental health counseling.

Four people involved in the mine incident have minor injuries.

One person reportedly died in the mine. Their identity has not been released, and it’s unclear if their remains have been recovered.

Fire chief has ‘utmost confidence’ in rescuers

01:14 , Josh Marcus

The head of the Colorado Springs Fire Department says he’s confident his rescuers will help free those trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine.

Here’s what he wrote on Facebook about the ongoing rescue effort:“When it comes to life-safety, city and county boundaries are non-existent. Today we responded to the call for help from our neighbors in Teller County to assist in rescues during an incident at one of their mining attractions. My crews are specially trained to respond to incidents like this when called upon. I am grateful for the support of Mayor Yemi to be able to share those resources with neighboring counties and cities when they call upon us. I have the utmost confidence in the work my crews are doing and I hope our friends in Teller County feel the passion and heart they have to perform these rescues and to keep them safe. We’re here to help our neighbors when they need us.”

PHOTOS: Rescuers mass outside Colorado mine

01:30 , Josh Marcus

Police, fire, rescue, and medical officials massed on Thursday around the Colorado mine where scores of tourists are trapped underground.

Here are some photos of the scene captured by reporters at the Colorado news station KRDO.

People stuck in mine only have limited information on what’s going on, sheriff says

01:45 , Josh Marcus

Officials are only providing limited information to the dozen people trapped inside of a Colorado mine in an attempt to keep them calm.

“They really don’t have an idea that we have more of an issue up top than, than what they’re being told is the elevator and, and really, that’s because I want to keep people calm because I can’t get them out until I can get something down there,” Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said on Thursday, Colorado Public Radio reports.

ICYMI: One person dead and multiple tourists trapped underground after failure in Colorado mine

02:00 , Josh Marcus

One person died and 12 people remain trapped underground in a Colorado gold mine and a rescue operation was underway after an equipment failure.

The incident happened around 12pm on Thursday when an elevator system failed at the Mollie Kathleen Mine in Cripple Creek, a tourist attraction in Teller County.

A mechanical issue took place 500ft deep in the mine during what was supposed to be a two-minute journey creating a severe danger for riders on board the elevator, officials said.

Four people sustained minor injuries and have been seen by medical providers. Two children were involved in the incident.

Michelle Del Rey reports.

One person dead and multiple tourists trapped in Colorado mine

What the governor has said about the Colorado mine incident

03:00 , Josh Marcus

Colorado governor Jared Polis is closely monitoring the ongoing emergency incident at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine.

Here’s what he said of the situation so far on X.

Rescue compete

04:05 , Andrew Georgeson

All 12 people trapped underground have now been rescued, officials have confirmed.

Sadly, one person died in the accident. No further details have been provided about the person’s identity. That is the end of our live coverage, but our wrap of today’s dramatic events can be found below.

One person dead and multiple tourists trapped in Colorado mine