At least one person died and fifty tourists were injured this Tuesday as a result of the train crash that occurred on the way to Machu Picchuin Peru, in the Cusco region.
The accident occurred at 1:20 p.m. local time on the single-track railway route that connects the town of Ollantaytambo with Machu Picchu.
The fatal victim was identified as Roberto Cardenaswho was in the front part of one of the locomotives that crashed near the sector known as Pampacahua.
The injured are of various sizes and were traveling towards the town of Hot Watersabout thirty minutes from Machu Picchu.
Train crash in Peru.After the crash, several passengers remained on the side of the railway waiting for help, while others tried to organize care for the injured and request support from the corresponding authorities.
As the hours passed, the first fifteen reported injuries increased until they reached fifty, while the rescuers’ tasks continued.
The trains that collided correspond to PeruRail e Still Rail. Precisely, since Trasandino Railway (FTSA) They issued a statement about what happened in the accident. They assured that the emergency protocol was immediately activated and the injured people were assisted.
Trasandino Railway Communiqué.The crash occurred at kilometer 94, as it passed through the Pampacahua, a difficult-to-access sector where only the rails pass parallel to the Vilcanota River, in the Cusco region.
The impact caused significant material damage to both trains. The carriages and locomotives were affected and even tourist objects were scattered on the side of the road.
From the Ministry of Health They sent twelve ambulances and doctors to assist those affected and transfer them to area hospitals. The problem is that the accident site (kilometer 94) cannot be entered by vehicles, so the professionals They had to access on foot until waiting for a rescue convoy on the railway.
🔴 #Now | Staff of the @SamuPeruMinsa and the Diresa Cusco receives the injured from the train crash so that they can be transferred by rail to nearby stations.
At the Piscacucho station there are ambulances and health personnel waiting for the injured. pic.twitter.com/nhi2EzRf1X
— Ministry of Health (@Minsa_Peru) December 30, 2025
Furthermore, since Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism regretted what happened.
«In light of the facts, the Tourist Protection Network has been activated, launching care protocols and articulating actions with the Regional Government of Cusco, the Municipalities of Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo, the National Police of Peru, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Culture and SERNANP, with the aim of safeguarding the safety of tourists and guaranteeing timely attention,» they indicated.
This railway is the route most used by tourists visiting the Inca citadelwith a path of approximately 43 kilometers that begins in the town of Ollantaytambo and reaches the municipality of Machu Picchu.
In July 2018 there had been another crashalso between formations from Perú Rail and Inca Rail. A formation of that last company was delayed between the Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu districts, according to witnesses due to a protest that affected the service.
«We were stopped for about an hour until the road was clear and we continued. Five minutes later we felt a strong impact from the back,» said a passenger. That accident left 28 injured, five in serious condition.
