Colorado mine updates: One dead and 12 trapped as rescue operation continues at Mollie Kathleen gold mine
Rescue operation underway in Coloardo as equipment malfunction in Old West-style mining tour site strands group undergound
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One person is reportedly dead and 12 people remain trapped in a former Colorado gold mine, where officials say an equipment malfunction stranded a group of people on Thursday.
Another 11 people were rescued 500 feet beneath the surface at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, the Teller County Sheriff’s Office said.
“I have spoken to the Teller County Sheriff and County Commissioners and will stay in touch through the course of this rescue effort,” Colorado governer Jared Polis wrote Thursday in a statement on X. “The state is assisting Teller County and sending resources to rescue those inside the mine. We will do everything possible and assist the county to ensure a speedy and safe resolution of the situation.”
“This was due to an equipment malfunction,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “The mine did not collapse.”
Police say they hope they can rescue the remaining people inside the mine by the end of the day.
The 1,000-foot mine is advertised as a tourist site to learn about mining in the “Old West.”
What’s the history of the Mollie Kathleen Mine?
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 caused Colorado gold mine incident?
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.
Colorado Springs Fire Department assisting with mine rescue
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.
Governor’s office weighs in on Colorado mining incident
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.
People stranded in Colorado mine
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.
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