Lift malfunction in Colorado gold mine results in one death, 12 tourists trapped

The elevator going towards the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek suffered a mechanical issue at around 500 feet (152 meters) below the surface creating a “severe danger for the participants”.

By: Express Web Desk
Updated: October 11, 2024 06:35 AM IST

2 min read

First responders work the scene Thursday, Oct. 9, 2024, at Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, Colo. (Arthur H. Trickett-Wile/The Gazette via AP)

One person was killed and 12 others remain trapped in an accident in a former gold mine in Colorado, when an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist site, reported BBC.

The elevator going towards the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek suffered a mechanical issue at around 500 feet (152 meters) below the surface creating a “severe danger for the participants” and one person was killed, said Jason Mikesell of Teller County Sheriff at a press conference.

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Emergency personnel stage outside the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, Colo., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, after one person died in an equipment malfunction during a tour of the mine according to the Teller County Sheriff’s Department. (Arthur Trickette-Wile/The Gazette via AP)

“We want to inspect it, make sure it’s safe before bringing them back up with it,” Mikesell said. “We do have a plan B and a plan C already set in place with rescue officers,” he added, according to news agency Associated Press.

The elevator fiasco was brought to the attention of authorities in the afternoon, but the police refused to detail about the deceased person. Reportedly, two children were involved in the entire episode but it remains to be confirmed whether the two were among those who were trapped.

As per the Associated Press, 11 people who were riding the elevator were rescued, Mikesell said. Four had minor injuries. The sheriff did not elaborate on how they were injured or the nature of the elevator’s mechanical problems.

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