One person is dead and 12 are trapped in a former Colorado gold mine

Emergency personnel stage outside the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, Colorado (Arthur Trickette-Wile/The Gazette via AP)

One person was killed and officials were working to rescue 12 others trapped deep beneath the surface of a former Colorado gold mine after an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist site, authorities said.

The elevator descending into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek had a mechanical problem around 500 feet (152 metres) beneath the surface, creating a “severe danger for the participants” and one person was killed, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said at a press conference.