BUENOS AIRES; A least one person died in a head-on collision between two trains near the Inca city of Machu Picchu, German Press Agency (dpa) reported Tuesday, citing Peruvian authorities.
The Ministry of Justice said that the driver of one of the trains involved in the crash died. Earlier, police had only spoken of 15 people injured, including one seriously.
The accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when a Peru Rail train collided with another train belonging to Inca Rail on the Ollantaytambo-Machu Picchu route popular with tourists.
Peruvian authorities said an investigation into the crash was underway. Rail traffic along the route connecting Ollantaytambo station to the town of Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town) was suspended.
The United States (US) Embassy in Peru said that US citizens were among the injured.
The ruined site of Machu Picchu is one of the most important tourist attractions in South America and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. The 550-year-old site has capacity for up to 5,600 visitors a day, depending on the time of the year.
The city was built by the Incas in the 15th century and consists of about 200 buildings. – BERNAMA-dpa
