Colorado mine updates: One dead, 23 rescued after “malfunction” leaves dozens trapped

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.”