By Olivia Prentzel | Colorado Sun
A Colorado tourist mine was inspected and declared safe six weeks before an elevator malfunction killed a tour guide and stranded 23 people underground last week.
The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety sent a cease and desist letter to Mollie Kathleen tourist mine near Cripple Creek on Wednesday, ordering its owners to halt tours and restrict all public access to the mine, with the exception of law enforcement and other agencies investigating the fatal incident.
A message posted on Mollie Kathleen’s website after the incident said the gold mine “will be closed until further notice.” The mine, which isn’t open year-round, was scheduled to end tours a few days after the Oct. 10 incident.