Elevator malfunction at Colorado gold mine under investigation after deadly tragedy

Investigators are trying to determine what caused an elevator at a Colorado gold mine to malfunction, trapping adults and children below ground.

One person died and 23 others were rescued Thursday at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine located in Teller County, Colorado.

According to The Associated Press, the elevator had been descending underground when a mechanical problem happened at around 500 feet below the surface. Some of the individuals were trapped for about six hours before being rescued.

It's still unclear what exactly caused the visitor's death. Their identity has not been released. Several others were hurt during the incident, but those injuries are said to be minor.

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The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine was closed in the 1960s but has since held tours of the mines which remained popular over the years, according to the mine's tour website.

The operators of the tour say revenue from tours goes, in part at least, to maintain safety on the property, where walking tours are offered seasonally.

Tours at the mine run from May through the second weekend in October, organizers say.

Mines in Colorado are required to designate someone to conduct daily inspections of the grounds and transportation systems, the state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety told the Associated Press . Records for inspections at Mollie Kathleen Mine were not immediately available online, a report found.

A version of this story was originally published by Dani Whitaker and James Gavato at Scripps News Colorado Springs .