Bus accident with tourists of various nationalities on the way to Machu Picchu leaves at least 9 injured

A bus accident in Peru carrying tourists of various nationalities to the famous Inca stone citadel of Machu Picchu left at least nine people injured, Peruvian authorities said Monday.

The Consettur bus that runs from Machu Picchu Pueblo to the stone citadel went off the road shortly before noon, Julio Andía, a tourist police officer in Cusco, the region in which the citadel is located, told The Associated Press. He added that several of the injured were taken to a nearby health center.

Police later said all the passengers were transported from Machu Picchu in two train cars bound for Cusco, including 13 from Italy, six from Mexico, three from Chile, two from Guatemala, two from Brazil, two from Venezuela, one from China, one from Taiwan and two Peruvian tour guides.

The Mexican Foreign Ministry reported in the afternoon that among the injured there are four Mexicans with multiple fractures and that they are already in contact with the Peruvian authorities to provide the necessary assistance to their compatriots.

Local media videos showed the bus off the road with its front end tilted at about 45 degrees as people tried to treat some of the injured.

Up to 5,600 people are allowed to enter Machu Picchu per day. The Cusco region has several tourist sites of Inca culture in addition to the citadel that have made it the main tourist destination in Peru.

The Inca citadel was built in the 15th century as a religious sanctuary for the Incas and is located in the Amazon in southeastern Peru, at an altitude of 2,490 metres.

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