Colorado tourist mine accident leaves one person dead; 23 people rescued

One person has died and 23 people have been rescued after they were trapped hundreds of feet underground at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine, a tourist mine in Cripple Creek, Colorado, officials said Thursday.

Eleven people were rescued earlier Thursday and a dozen more people were trapped at the bottom of the 1,000-foot-deep mine for several hours before being rescued Thursday night.

“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.

Among those rescued, two were children and four were seen by medical personnel for minor injuries, according to Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell, who did not provide details on the fatality.

At around noon Thursday, the mine experienced a mechanical issue with its elevator system, causing “a severe danger for the participants,” Mikesell said during a news conference. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

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