Head-on train collision near Machu Picchu in Peru leaves at least one dead, 40 injured

A head-on collision between two trains on the line serving Machu Picchu in Peru killed one person and injured at least 40 others, authorities said.

The deceased was the driver of one of the two trains, according to the public prosecutor’s office in Cusco, the city closest to the famous Inca citadel.

The U.S. Embassy in Peru said in a statement that there were U.S. citizens among the injured. He did not say how many Americans were injured or the extent of their injuries.

Videos sent by passengers to television channel RPP showed injured victims lying next to train tracks with two damaged locomotives stationary nearby.

A dozen ambulances and medical personnel were transported to the scene, in an isolated Andean region with no direct road access.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, the ancient fortified complex receives some 4,500 visitors on average every day, many of them foreigners, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Most tourists take a train and bus to reach the historic site high in the Andes.

Rail agency Ferrocarril Transandino said a train operated by PeruRail collided with another belonging to Inca Rail around midday, on the single track that connects the town of Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu. The cause of the accident was not yet known.

Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century at an altitude of approximately 8,200 feet by order of the Inca ruler Pachacutec. It is considered a marvel of architecture and engineering.