one dead, tourists injured after head-on collision in Peru
Updated ,first published
-Lima: One person died and at least 30 people, including foreigners, were injured as a result of a head-on collision between two trains carrying tourists to the Machu Picchu region of the Incas in Peru.
Police are investigating the accident in which a train worker died. The trains were operated by Inca Rail SA and PeruRail SA on a narrow section of track wedged between a rocky surface and a lush forest.
The line is mainly used to transport tourists to the iconic site, which attracts more than 1 million visitors each year. A medical official said about 20 of the injured were in relatively serious condition. A police officer added that foreign tourists were among the injured. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.
In the photos and videos published on social media shortly after the accident, it was seen that the heavily damaged locomotives were facing each other on the rail and the injured were being treated on the edges of the rail between the forest and a large rock.
A train from Machu Picchu collided with a train heading there near Qoriwayrachina, also an archaeological site, on Tuesday afternoon (Wednesday AEDT), according to the company that operates the railway.
Further details about what caused the crash were not immediately available.
Visitors to Machu Picchu mostly arrive by train to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes. Known for its stone bricks that fit together perfectly, this site was built by the Incas in the 15th century and served as a sanctuary for the Inca emperors.
The number of visitors to Machu Picchu has increased by nearly 25 percent over the past decade, but tourism in the region has also been affected by political turmoil and disputes over how the site is managed; protesters sometimes blocked the railway leading to the area.
Machu Picchu can also be reached on foot, with visitors hiking from the small town of Ollantaytambo. The hike takes about four days.
Reuters, AP
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