Head-on train crash near Peru

A head-on collision between two trains on the line linking Machu Picchu in Peru killed one person and injured at least 40 others, authorities said.

The deceased was the driver of one of the two trains, according to the prosecutor’s office in Cusco, the city closest to the famous Inca citadel.

The U.S. Embassy in Peru said in a statement that U.S. citizens were among the injured. He did not indicate how many Americans were injured or the extent of their injuries.

Videos sent by passengers to the RPP television channel showed the injured lying next to the tracks and near two disabled locomotives standing still.

A dozen ambulances and medical personnel were rushed to the site, located in a remote Andean area with no direct road access.

Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1983, the ancient fortified complex receives about 4,500 visitors on average every day, many of them foreigners, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Most tourists take a train and a bus to reach the historic site high in the Andes Mountains.

The railway agency Ferrocarril Transandino said a train operated by PeruRail collided with another belonging to Inca Rail around noon on the single track linking the town of Ollantaytambo with Machu Picchu. The cause of the accident was not yet known.

Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century at an altitude of about 8,200 feet by order of the Inca ruler Pachacutec. It is considered a marvel of architecture and engineering.