Five Australians safe after fatal train crash near Machu Picchu
A head-on collision between two tourist trains near Peru's most famous landmark kills a train driver and injures dozens.
8 hours agoWed 31 Dec 2025 at 3:49am
In short:
A train driver has been killed and at least 30 passengers injured when two trains collided head-on on the rail line to Machu Picchu, Reuters reports.
Foreign tourists are among the injured and roughly 20 people are in a serious condition, officials say.
What's next?
Authorities are investigating the cause of the collision near the popular archaeological site, which draws more than one million visitors each year.
Two trains have collided head-on on the railway leading to Peru's Machu Picchu, killing a train driver and injuring at least 30 passengers, according to Reuters.
Police are investigating the crash, which occurred on Tuesday, local time, and involved trains operated by Inca Rail S.A. and PeruRail S.A., companies that mainly transport tourists to the popular archaeological site. A health official said about 20 people were in a relatively serious condition.
A police officer said foreign tourists were among those injured in the collision.
People evacuate a train carriage after two trains collided on the railway leading to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru. (Reuters)
Videos on local media showed train carriages with broken windows and dented sides stuck along a rail line, hemmed in between lush forest and a massive rock.
No further details about the cause of the crash were immediately available.
Machu Picchu draws well over 1 million visitors each year, most of whom arrive by train to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes.
An injured person lies on a stretcher inside a train carriage after two trains collided on the railway leading to Machu Picchu in Peru. (Obtained by Reuters)
Built in the 15th century by the Incas, the site is known for its precisely fitted stonework and is believed to have served as a sanctuary for the nation's emperors.
The number of people visiting Machu Picchu has increased by about 25 per cent over the past decade, but tourism in the area has also been disrupted by political unrest and disputes over site management. Protests have sometimes blocked the railroad that leads to the ancient site.
Reuters/AP