The accident occurred at around 1:20 pm local time (3:20 pm in Brasília) on the single-track railway route that connects the town of Ollantaytambo with Machu Picchu, in the Andean region of Cusco
At least one person died and another 40 were injured this Tuesday (30) in a head-on collision involving two tourist trains on the route toin the southeast of authorities reported. The deceased is the driver of one of the trains, according to the Cusco Provincial Public Ministry. The accident occurred around 1:20 pm local time (3:20 pm in Brasília) on the single-track railway route that connects the town of Ollantaytambo with Machu Picchu, in the Andean region of Cusco.
A train from the PeruRail company collided head-on with another from the Inca Rail company, for reasons that are still unknown. Authorities did not immediately detail the nationalities of the injured. The provincial Public Ministry ordered “the removal of the body of Roberto Cárdenas [o maquinista falecido]among other measures necessary to clarify the facts”.
The judicial body reported that it is trying to identify the injured tourists and has ordered their transfer to a health center in Ollantaytambo. They also try to determine how many passengers were traveling on the trains.
The number of injured, which was initially estimated at 15 people, rose to 40. According to the Cusco Ministry of Health, there are people of different nationalities and the majority suffered severe injuries due to the collision between the trains. Dozens of passengers who were unharmed were evacuated to nearby stations, where they waited to be taken to Cusco.
Videos sent by passengers to broadcaster RPP showed tourists lying on one side of the road and the locomotives damaged by the impact. The company Ferrocarril Transandino, concessionaire of the railway line in southeastern Peru, confirmed the collision between the Inca Rail and PeruRail trains and reported that “personal and material damage” was recorded.
To get to Machu Picchu, a pre-Hispanic Inca city declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1983, visitors use the train and a bus that takes them to the famous citadel. The archaeological site, Peru’s main tourist attraction, receives around 4,500 visitors per day on average. The service has been suspended until further notice, the concession company announced.
The Cusco regional government and the Ministry of Health sent ambulances to the scene to provide assistance to the injured. The police reported through their social networks that they sent a contingent from Cusco to the scene of the accident to “reinforce security, public order and investigative actions”.
*With information from AFP
