Lima, Peru
AP
—
Two trains carrying tourists to Peru’s famous Machu Picchu ruins collided on Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring around 30 passengers.
Inspector Jonathan Castillo Gonzalez of the Cusco Police Department said the deceased was a railway employee. He told The Associated Press that the railway had suspended service on the rail line connecting Machu Picchu and the nearby city of Cusco after the accident.
According to the railway operator, a train coming from Machu Picchu collided with a train bound for Machu Picchu near the same ruin, Kolihuaratina, in the early afternoon.
Further details about the cause of the crash were not immediately available.
Video from local media showed vehicles with broken windows and dented sides stranded along railroad tracks between lush forests and giant boulders.
Machu Picchu receives about 1.5 million tourists a year, most of whom arrive by train to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes. Known for its close-fitting stone bricks, it was built by the Incas in the 15th century and served as a sanctuary for the country’s emperors.
The number of visitors to Machu Picchu has increased by about 25% over the past decade, but tourism in the region has also been affected by political turmoil and disputes over how the site is managed, with protesters sometimes blocking railways leading to the ancient ruins.
Machu Picchu is also accessible on foot and can be trekked from the small town of Ollantaytambo. The trek takes approximately 4 days.
