A train conductor was killed and dozens of passengers were injured after two trains collided near Machu Picchu, one of Peru’s most visited tourist destinations.
The head-on crash occurred Tuesday, Dec. 30, on a railway line connecting to the historic site, according to reports from the BBC, Al Jazeera and Reuters. The collision took place between Ollantaytambo Station and the town of Aguas Calientes. The two trains involved were operated by separate companies, PeruRail and Inca Rail, the BBC reported.
Video footage shared by multiple news outlets showed passengers evacuating the train as first responders treated injured travelers at the scene and transported others for medical care.
Peru’s prosecutor’s office in Cusco confirmed that the person killed was the conductor of one of the trains, according to Al Jazeera. Dozens of passengers were hurt in the crash, with around 20 reported to be in relatively serious condition, Reuters and Al Jazeera said.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the collision. The U.S. Embassy in Peru, Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Peruvian National Police Force did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
One passenger, 33-year-old Niels Honkoop, described the aftermath as “chaos” in an interview with the BBC. Moments before the crash, he had moved from the middle of the train to the back. When the trains collided, the table where he had been sitting split in half, and injured passengers were left lying in the aisle.
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“I saw staff running around and people crying and people on the floor and chaos erupted,” Honkoop said. “We got off the train and I saw people bleeding with very severe injuries.”
Honkoop said he rushed to help those who were hurt, even distributing extra painkillers he had with him following recent dental surgery.
In a statement shared with the BBC, PeruRail said, “We deeply regret what has happened.”
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Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a lasting legacy of the Inca civilization. Located about 2,430 meters above sea level in a tropical forest in the Andes Mountains, the site “was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height,” according to UNESCO.
The archaeological landmark attracts roughly 1.5 million visitors each year, most of whom arrive by train, the Associated Press reported.
