Four tourists were killed and 16 were injured, including four French citizens, in a bus accident in Peru after visiting the citadel of Machu Picchu, authorities said on Monday. The bus crashed into “a ravine of more than 100 meters,” said the Minister of Labor and Tourism, Roberto Sánchez, according to whom “there was fog where the accident occurred.”
Three of the deceased tourists are of Colombian nationality, the fourth of Peruvian nationality, the ministry said in a statement.
Transfer of some wounded to Lima by plane
In addition to the four French, among the injured are two Greeks, two Canadians, two Israelis, two Argentines, one Dutch, one Spanish and two Peruvians, including the driver. The accident occurred on the night of Sunday to Monday about a hundred kilometers from the city of Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, the main starting point for tour operators who organize visits to Machu Picchu.
Some wounded would be transferred to Lima in a plane chartered by the Air Force, he added.
“We express our condolences to the families and governments of foreign tourists who have unfortunately passed away,” Peru’s Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.
Road accidents are frequent in Peru, due in particular to the state of the road network, speeding or lack of signage. Three weeks ago, 16 people died when their bus crashed into a ravine in the central province of Junín.
An average of 5,000 tourists daily visit Machu Picchu, built in the fifteenth century by the Inca emperor Pachacutec, listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and among the list of wonders of the world.
Source: BFM TV
