Train crash near Peru’s Machu Picchu kills driver, injures dozens

At least one person was killed and dozens hurt when two trains collided on the rail line that serves Peru’s renowned archaeological site of Machu Picchu.

On the single track that connects Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu, Inca Rail reported that a train operated by PeruRail and another locomotive collided around lunchtime.

According to the prosecutor’s office in Cusco, the city that is most near the famed Inca citadel, the deceased was the train’s conductor.

About 20 people were reportedly in a relatively serious condition, according to a health official.

The severely damaged locomotives facing each other on the track, broken glass strewn around, and injured people receiving treatment on the tracks’ sides were seen in images released shortly after the collision on social media.

In a remote Andean region without direct road access, a dozen ambulances and medical personnel were rushed to the site.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, receives roughly 4,500 visitors per day on average, many of whom are foreigners.

The site, which was constructed in the 15th century by the Incas as a refuge for the country’s emperors, was renowned for its perfectly shaped stone bricks.

The historical site is located high in the Andes Mountains, and the majority of tourists take both a train and a bus.