Peruvian authorities on Friday completed the evacuation of thousands of tourists stranded for days by mudslides and flooding near Machu Picchu, a minister said.
“Not a single tourist remains in Machu Picchu or in the town of Aguas Calientes” near the ancient ruins, Peruvian Tourism Minister Martin Perez said.
He added that members of the police and military conducted an extensive search of hotels and homes “to verify that there was not a single tourist in the zone.”
PHOTO: EPA
He said diplomats from several countries whose nationals were among the 3,500 tourists trapped since Monday had gathered in Cusco and were brought to the site to confirm that no visitors remained in Machu Picchu.
Travelers were told it would likely take some two months to re-establish a train service to the famous ruins.
Torrential rains triggered mudslides that washed away parts of the only train line that connects the ruins with Cusco.
Officials said it would likely take seven weeks to re-establish rail service, but that they were looking at other ways to reach Peru’s top tourist draw.
Apart from the train, the only ways to reach the site is to trek some 45 km through steep mountain passes, or fly by helicopter.
“Clearing the southern railway that runs ... to Machu Picchu will take some seven weeks at least,” Armando Pareja, head of PeruRail, said.
The company operates the train with Orient-Express.
Pareja said PeruRail was exploring a northern route, which would run on roads and a separate train line.
Machu Picchu lies some 1,100km southeast of Lima. Roughly 1 million people visit the site, which sits some 2,400m above sea level, each year.
Authorities say roughly 4,600 homes and several bridges have been damaged by the rains, as well as some 16,000 hectares of farmland.
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