Four tourists died and sixteen were injured, including four Frenchmen, in an accident in Peru after visiting the Inca citadel.
The coach crashed into “a ravine of just over 100 meters”, details the Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), Roberto Sanchez, according to whom “there was fog where the accident happened”.
Three of the deceased tourists are of Colombian nationality, the fourth of Peruvian nationality, specifies a press release. In addition to the four French, there are among the injured two Greeks, two Canadians, two Israelis, two Argentinians, a Dutchman, a Spaniard and two Peruvians, including the bus driver.
Frequent road accidents in Peru
The accident occurred on the night of Sunday to Monday about a hundred kilometers from the city of Cusco, the ancient Inca capital and the main starting point for tour operators organizing visits to Machu Picchu. Road accidents which are frequent in Peru, due in particular to the state of the road network, excessive speed or lack of signage. Sixteen people died three weeks ago when their coach crashed into a ravine in central Junin province.
Machu Picchu, the most emblematic site of the Inca destination and culture, receives around 5,000 tourists on average every day. The citadel, built in the 15th century by the Inca emperor Pachacutec, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and on the list of the eight new wonders of the world.
