Global Edition
Global Edition
UK Edition
EU Edition
US Edition

Understand the story, not the spin.

Markets

Train Crash to Machu Picchu Kills 1, Injures 30

Published 31 December 2025

A head-on collision between two tourist trains on the rail line to Peru's iconic Machu Picchu archaeological site killed one railroad worker and injured at least 30 passengers on Tuesday afternoon, authorities reported.

The crash occurred near the community of Qoriwayrachina, along the single-track route connecting the town of Ollantaytambo to the ancient Inca citadel. The trains, operated by PeruRail and Inca Rail, were carrying visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage Site when they slammed into each other around lunchtime. Officials from the Cusco prosecutor's office identified the deceased as the conductor of one of the locomotives. A health official in the region stated that approximately 20 of the injured were in serious condition, with cuts, bruises, and broken bones among the injuries reported. Police confirmed that foreign tourists were among those hurt.

Emergency responders, including a dozen ambulances and medical teams, rushed to the remote Andean location, which lacks direct road access. Social media videos and images from the scene depicted the locomotives facing each other with severe front-end damage, shattered windows, and debris scattered along the tracks flanked...

Now playing
0:00 / 0:00