Denver (AP) — Investigators had been making an attempt to determine Friday what led an elevator to malfunction at a former Colorado gold mine, killing one particular person, injuring 4 others and leaving 12 individuals trapped for hours on the backside of the vacationer attraction 1,000 ft (305 meters) beneath the floor.

The elevator was descending into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine close to the city of Cripple Creek within the mountains close to Colorado Springs when it had a mechanical drawback round 500 ft (152 meters) beneath the floor. That brought about the demise of 1 particular person, but to be recognized, and injured 4 others, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell mentioned in briefings Thursday evening.

However what precisely brought about the customer’s demise was not instantly supplied. Eleven different individuals, together with two youngsters, who had been using the elevator had been rescued. 4 had minor accidents together with again ache, neck ache and arm ache, the sheriff mentioned.

Twelve adults from a second group had been trapped for about six hours Thursday beneath floor. They’d entry to water and used radios to speak with authorities, who advised them there was an elevator problem, Mikesell mentioned.

Mines that function as vacationer points of interest in Colorado should designate somebody to examine the mines and the transportation programs each day, based on the state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Security. Mikesell mentioned he didn’t know the date of the final inspection. Data of the inspections weren’t instantly out there on-line.

Engineers labored to ensure the elevator was working safely once more earlier than bringing the stranded guests again up on it Thursday evening. That included sending the elevator down empty to the underside of the shaft to ensure it might get again up with out points. The elevator trip usually takes about two minutes, based on the mine’s web site.

The 12 stranded vacationers had been hoisted up in teams of 4 over a half-hour interval, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned in a information launch. They’d been ready to deliver them up by rope if vital, had the elevator not been usable.

The incident, which was reported to authorities at about midday, occurred through the ultimate week of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine season earlier than it shuts down for the winter, Mikesell mentioned.

Cripple Creek is a city of about 1,100 within the Rocky Mountains southwest of Colorado Springs.

The mine opened within the 1800s and closed in 1961, however nonetheless operates excursions. Its web site describes a one-hour tour. It says guests can see veins of gold within the rock and trip an underground tram.

A lady named Mollie Kathleen Gortner found the location of the mine in 1891 when she noticed quartz laced with gold, based on the corporate’s web site.