Canadian citizens are among dozens of passengers injured after two trains brought and returned tourists Peru’s known Machu Picchu archaeological site collapsed head-on on Tuesday, killing at least one person.
A spokesperson for Canada’s Office of Global Affairs told Global News in a statement that Canadian officials are providing assistance.
“Global Affairs Canada is aware of Canadian citizens injured in Peru,” a spokesperson said in response to questions about the train crash. “Our deepest sympathies go out to all those affected by the accident.”
The department could not share further information due to privacy concerns.
The Associated Press and Reuters reported that the person killed was a railroad worker, citing local police in the nearby city of Cuzco.
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According to the company that operates the railway, a train coming from Machu Picchu collided with a train going there in the early afternoon, near Qoriwayrachina, also an archaeological site.
No further details about the cause of the accident are available at this time.
One of two trains involved in a head-on collision connecting Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo is shown in Pampacahua, Cusco department, Peru, on December 30, 2025. At least one person was killed and dozens of others injured in a collision between two tourist trains, authorities said. (Photo by Carolina Paucar/AFP via Getty Images).
Videos on local media show carriages with broken windows and dented sides stuck along the railway line wedged between lush forest and massive rock. Pictures on social media show injured people being helped along the sides of the tracks.
The Associated Press said about 30 passengers were injured, while Reuters put the number at more than 40, citing health officials. A health official told Reuters that about 20 people were in relatively serious condition.
Machu Picchu is the main tourist destination of Peru and is visited annually by about 1.5 million visitors, who mostly come by train to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes.
— With files from The Associated Press and Reuters
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