Tourists are among the 15 people injured after two trains crashed head on near Machu Picchu on Tuesday. 

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

A dozen ambulances and medical personnel were rushed to the site in a remote Andean area without direct road access.

A full list of the nationalities of those hurt in the crash are not currently known. 

The US Department of State confirmed today that American citizens are among those hurt in the crash. 

It added in a post to X: ‘Travelers with rail travel plans should contact their rail service provider directly regarding rescheduling or reimbursement options. Travelers should consult their guides or tourist agencies and adjust plans accordingly.’

The Daily Mail has contacted the UK’s foreign office for comment. 

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, the ancient fortified complex receives some 4,500 visitors on average each day, many of them foreigners, according to the tourism ministry.

Tourists are among the 15 people injured after two trains crashed head on near Machu Picchu on Tuesday (File image) 

Rail agency Ferrocarril Transandino said a train operated by PeruRail collided with another belonging to Inca Rail around lunchtime on the single track that links the town of Ollantaytambo with Machu Picchu.

Cusco police chief General Julio Cesar Becerra told the Andina state news agency that 15 people were injured, including one seriously. He did not state their nationalities.

The cause of the accident was not yet known.

Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century at an altitude of around 8,200 feet on orders from the Inca ruler Pachacutec.

It is considered a marvel of architecture and engineering.



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