One person has died in a head-on collision between two trains near the famous Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru.
December 31, 2025, 05:01December 31, 2025, 05:01
At least 40 other people were injured, according to authorities on Tuesday (local time).
One of the two trains involved after the crash.Image: x
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the dead man was the train driver of one of the two trains. Authorities said they were working to identify the injured train passengers, many of whom were foreign visitors and most of whom were seriously injured.
Videos sent by passengers to TV station RPP showed injured people lying next to the tracks and two damaged locomotives stopped.
Ambulances and medical personnel were rushed to the difficult-to-reach location in a remote Andean region. To get to the tourist attraction Machu Picchu, visitors first take the train and then a bus.
Machu Picchu is extremely popular with tourists.Image: keystone
The railway company Ferrocarril Transandino said a train operated by PeruRail collided with an Inca Rail train around noon (local time) on the single-track line that connects the city of Ollantaytambo with Machu Picchu. The cause of the collision was initially unclear.
According to the Peruvian Ministry of Tourism, the old ruined city, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, is visited by around 4,500 people every day, including many foreign tourists. (sda/afp)