By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Published: 23:25 GMT, 30 December 2025 | Updated: 01:08 GMT, 31 December 2025

A train driver was killed and 40 more were 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.

The trained were seen facing each other on the track, broken glass ‍strewn around and ⁠injured people being treated on the sides of the tracks. 

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

Police are ‍investigating the ​collision between trains operated by Inca Rail S.A. and PeruRail S.A., which mainly transport tourists to ‍the ‍iconic site. 

A health official said about 20 people were in relatively serious condition. 

Police said foreign tourists were injured in the crash, though a full list of the nationalities of those hurt in the crash has not been released. 

The US Department of State confirmed 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 train driver was killed and 40 more were injured two trains crashed head on near Machu Picchu on Tuesday (pictured) 

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

Police are ‍investigating the ​collision between the trains

A health official said about 20 people were in relatively serious condition

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

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.

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.

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