A Washington States ice cave partially collapsed on Monday at about 5 p. m. The incident took one life and left five others in injuries.

News of Monday's collapse came after authorities warned that the ice caves could be potentially dangerous due to warming temperature.

Snohomish County sheriff's spokeswoman Shari Ireton said on late Monday night that the person who died during the incident remained buried under the debris at the Big Four Ice Caves east of Verlot. The recovery efforts were suspended at nightfall, she said.

Among people who got injured a 25-year-old man was said to be in critical condition. He was airlifted to a Seattle trauma center. Other fatalities included a seriously injured 35-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman in satisfactory condition, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said. Their injuries included cuts and leg and pelvis fractures.

A fourth person, a juvenile girl with minor injuries, was sent to an Everett, Washington, hospital, Ireton said.

Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett also expected a second patient, spokeswoman Diane Torrance said late Monday night.

The ice caves have been closed presently till the further notice, said officials. The first call to emergency services came in about 5:38 p. m. Monday and the collapse probably happened about 45 minutes earlier, Ireton said.

Several warning signs have been put up in the past year to indicate the danger, Tracy O'Toole, a spokeswoman for the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, told the Daily Herald of Everett.

Jakubowski, who suffered scratches and other minor injuries, said, "It was extremely gruesome, honestly".