Peru train collision near Machu Picchu leaves 1 dead, over 30 injured

An apparent head-on collision between two passenger trains in southern Peru has left one person dead and more than 30 others injured, according to police and local media.

The collision was reported at around 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday along the rail line between Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, in a mountainous area of the Cusco region, according to Peru’s National Police and RPP Noticias. Authorities said the crash occurred on a single-track section of the route where trains operate in both directions.

Police identified the deceased victim as Roberto Cárdenas, a locomotive engineer employed by IncaRail. Police sources told RPP that more than 30 passengers were injured, including Peruvian nationals and foreign tourists.

Officials said the injured were evacuated to nearby clinics and hospitals, while specialized police units were deployed to investigate the incident. Cusco regional health director Omar Farfán told RPP that about 20 of the injured were assessed as being in relatively serious condition, while the remaining patients suffered multiple contusions.

The two trains involved belonged to PeruRail and IncaRail, the only companies operating the concessioned route, according to Ferrocarril Trasandino, the company that manages the rail infrastructure.

Peru’s National Police said officers from the Emergency and High Mountain Unit were dispatched to assist passengers in the difficult-to-access area.

Videos from the scene showed structural damage to the front sections of both trains, broken glass scattered along the tracks, and passengers sitting beside the rail line with their luggage.

The rail corridor serves the primary access route to Machu Picchu, one of South America’s most visited tourist destinations, which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world each year.