One person died after an elevator malfunctioned at the former Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Another 23 were trapped underground. First, 11 tourists were brought to the surface, the remaining 12 waited for rescue for about six hours.
An elevator malfunctioned at a former gold mine in Cripple Creek, Colorado, on Thursday, creating a “serious hazard” to visitors to the tourist attraction. One person died and 23 were trapped underground. Of these, 11 were stuck at a depth of about 150 meters and another 12 at the bottom of the facility, about 300 meters underground.
A group of 11 visitors was the first to be brought to the surface. Of these, four people needed medical assistance. Before extracting the remaining 12 trapped people, it was necessary to check the technical condition of the elevator and make sure that there would be no further failure.
They waited for six hours for the extraction
The air temperature at the bottom of the mine was about 10 degrees Celsius. Tourists trapped there were provided with access to blankets and water. They waited for six hours for the extraction. All this time, the prisoners remained in contact with the services thanks to radio communication.
The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple CreekArthur H. Trickett-Wile/Associated Press/East News
At this moment, the services do not reveal the identity of the victim and refuse to indicate the circumstances of his death. It is also not known what exactly contributed to the elevator failure or what exactly it was. Jared Polis, the governor of Colorado, expressed his “sincerest condolences” to the victims' relatives.
The mine was opened in the 19th century and its operation ended in the 1960s. Currently, it is a local tourist attraction. It offers visitors 60-minute trips deep into the earth. During them you can see gold veins in the rock and take a ride on an underground tram.
Main photo source: Arthur H. Trickett-Wile/Associated Press/East News