Four tourists killed, 16 injured while visiting Machu Picchu ancient ruins

At least four people have died and 16 injured after the minibus they were travelling in crashed into a ravine following a trip to Machu Picchu.

Four tourists have died and 16 injured after the minibus they were travelling in crashed into a ravine following a trip to the Machu Picchu ancient ruins on Sunday. Picture: Peruvian National Police/AFP

At least four tourists were killed and 16 injured after a minibus crashed into a ravine following a trip to the Machu Picchu ancient ruins on Sunday.

The Peruvian tourism and foreign business ministry said two of the tourists who died were Colombians and the other Peruvian.

Among the injured were four French nationals, two Greeks, two Israelis, two Canadians, two Argentines, two Peruvians, one from the Netherlands and one from Spain.

Sherwin Zevallos, the driver of the minibus, and a tour guide were among the injured.

The minibus was heading back from the popular tourist attraction of Machu Picchu when it went off the road, careering down 100m into a ravine.

The accident happened Sunday night around 100km from the city of Cusco, the former Incan empire capital which is the main departure point for many people visiting the Machu Picchu World Heritage site.

Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Roberto Sánchez said the minibus went down “a ravine of a little more than 100m”.

“There was fog where the accident happened,” he said in a possible explanation for the crash.

An image showed the wreckage of the white minibus with its windows shattered and doors busted.

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Four tourists died and 16 were injured after the minibus they were travelling in crashed into a ravine in Peru. Picture: Peruvian National Police/AFP

He said some of the injured tourists would be transferred to the Peruvian capital Lima by an air force plane.

“We deeply regret the loss of human lives and express our deepest condolences to their families,” Mr Sánchez added.

One of the injured, Timothee Malexeiux of France, told reporters from the city of Cusco he was sleeping when the bus crash occurred.

“I’m physically fine,” he said.

Machu Picchu, a jewel of the Peruvian tourism industry, was built in the 15th century as a religious sanctuary of the Incas and is located in the Amazon of southeastern Peru at about 2.4km altitude.

Accidents are common in Peru where speeding, poor road surfaces, and a lack of road signs contribute.

Three weeks ago, 16 people died when another minibus crashed into a ravine in the central Junin province.

Between January and October 2021, some 2053 people died in traffic accidents in Peru, according to the latest figures available.

– with AFP