| Two trains carrying tourists to Machu Picchu crash - as one person killed Posted by ChrisB at 19:22, 31st December 2025 |     |
Sky News initially reported
At least one person has been killed and around 30 passengers have been injured after two trains taking tourists to Machu Picchu in Peru crashed.
The collision involved a train coming from the famed archaeological site and a train headed there in the early afternoon near Qoriwayrachina, also an archaeological site, according to the company operating the railway.
The person who was killed was a railway worker, Jhonathan Castillo Gonzalez, a captain with the police department in the nearby city of Cuzco, said.
He said that train services along the line connecting Machu Picchu with Cuzco were suspended after the accident.
Authorities have not shared details regarding the cause of the crash.
Footage shared by local media showed train carriages with broken windows and dented sides, which were stuck on tracks set between a forest and a rock wall.
Around 1.5 million people flock to Machu Picchu every year, most of whom arrive by train.
The archaeological site was built by the Incas in the 15th century and served as a sanctuary for the Inca emperors.
Machu Picchu is known for its dry-stone brick walls and its three primary structures, including the Temple of the Sun.
The collision involved a train coming from the famed archaeological site and a train headed there in the early afternoon near Qoriwayrachina, also an archaeological site, according to the company operating the railway.
The person who was killed was a railway worker, Jhonathan Castillo Gonzalez, a captain with the police department in the nearby city of Cuzco, said.
He said that train services along the line connecting Machu Picchu with Cuzco were suspended after the accident.
Authorities have not shared details regarding the cause of the crash.
Footage shared by local media showed train carriages with broken windows and dented sides, which were stuck on tracks set between a forest and a rock wall.
Around 1.5 million people flock to Machu Picchu every year, most of whom arrive by train.
The archaeological site was built by the Incas in the 15th century and served as a sanctuary for the Inca emperors.
Machu Picchu is known for its dry-stone brick walls and its three primary structures, including the Temple of the Sun.
The BBC later caught up
Machu Picchu train crash leaves one dead and dozens injured
A train driver has died and at least 40 people have been injured in a head-on rail collision near Peru's most popular tourist attraction, Machu Picchu.
Two trains collided on the single track leading to the ancient Inca town on Tuesday, according to a statement from the local government.
It said that 20 ambulances had attended the scene and that injured people had been transferred to medical facilities in the nearby city of Cusco.
The US embassy in Peru said that US citizens were injured in the crash, while the UK Foreign Office said it was "supporting a number of British nationals involved".
Local media outlet Peru21 reports that hundreds of tourists remain at the scene awaiting evacuation, which has been hampered by difficult terrain around the crash site.
At least 20 of the injured are in a serious condition, a health official told the Reuters news agency.
The collision occurred on the track linking Ollantaytambo Station and Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu. The journey between the two stations usually takes around 90 minutes.
The two trains involved in the accident were operated by PeruRail and Inca Rail respectively.
"We deeply regret what has happened," PeruRail said in a statement, adding that its staff had "immediately" provided first aid to the train driver, the train conductor and the passengers involved in the incident.
The cause of the accident has not yet been made clear.
The crash comes amid an ongoing dispute between providers of transport to the Unesco world heritage site, with local communities unhappy with what they say is an insufficiently open bidding process.
The trains and buses that take tourists to the ancient town have steep ticket prices and can be highly lucrative due to its limited accessibility.
Built in the Peruvian Andes in the 15th Century, the Incan city of Machu Picchu is one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World.
Visitors can take a series of trains and buses to reach the site, or hike along the Inca trail with a registered tour operator.
In 2011, officials implemented a daily cap on visitors to protect and preserve the site, but concerns remain about overtourism.
A train driver has died and at least 40 people have been injured in a head-on rail collision near Peru's most popular tourist attraction, Machu Picchu.
Two trains collided on the single track leading to the ancient Inca town on Tuesday, according to a statement from the local government.
It said that 20 ambulances had attended the scene and that injured people had been transferred to medical facilities in the nearby city of Cusco.
The US embassy in Peru said that US citizens were injured in the crash, while the UK Foreign Office said it was "supporting a number of British nationals involved".
Local media outlet Peru21 reports that hundreds of tourists remain at the scene awaiting evacuation, which has been hampered by difficult terrain around the crash site.
At least 20 of the injured are in a serious condition, a health official told the Reuters news agency.
The collision occurred on the track linking Ollantaytambo Station and Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu. The journey between the two stations usually takes around 90 minutes.
The two trains involved in the accident were operated by PeruRail and Inca Rail respectively.
"We deeply regret what has happened," PeruRail said in a statement, adding that its staff had "immediately" provided first aid to the train driver, the train conductor and the passengers involved in the incident.
The cause of the accident has not yet been made clear.
The crash comes amid an ongoing dispute between providers of transport to the Unesco world heritage site, with local communities unhappy with what they say is an insufficiently open bidding process.
The trains and buses that take tourists to the ancient town have steep ticket prices and can be highly lucrative due to its limited accessibility.
Built in the Peruvian Andes in the 15th Century, the Incan city of Machu Picchu is one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World.
Visitors can take a series of trains and buses to reach the site, or hike along the Inca trail with a registered tour operator.
In 2011, officials implemented a daily cap on visitors to protect and preserve the site, but concerns remain about overtourism.
