Travellers near Machu Picchu await rescue
27th January 2010
800 tourists are still awaiting airlift rescue from the floods near Machu Picchu in Peru
About 1,400 tourists have been airlifted from near the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru following floods that destroyed road and rail links.
The train from the city of Cuzco is the only means of transport on the last leg of the trip to the ruins, and has been suspended since Saturday 23 January when it was blocked by one of 40 landslides in the area.
A break in the weather allowed the government to begin airlift rescues by helicopter, with more than 2,500 tourists rescued since Monday, officials said. Roughly 800 tourists are still stranded in the town of Aguas Calientes, at the foot of the ruins.
Rescue priority was given to young and old travellers, as well as pregnant women and anyone whom rescuers considered to be at risk.
One tour operator, Intrepid, had 29 guests in Aguas Calientes when the mudslides began. The multi-national groups, consisting of Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, Canadians, Germans and one Brit were given food and water while stranded at a hotel awaiting rescue.
“In situations like this, communication is so important. We’ve been getting updates every four hours, and are helping all our guests keep in touch with their families and loved ones at home”, says Catherine Phillips of Intrepid.
As of Friday 29 January, only nine of Intrepid’s guests remained at Aguas Calientes, along with their leader, David Rousseau.
“We take about 700 British people to Machu Picchu every year and for lots of travellers, a visit to the site is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our group this time have certainly had a trip they will never forget and they have really supported each other through the experience”, Catherine says.
Machu Picchu, which attracts more than 400,000 visitors a year, will be closed for several weeks after the heaviest rainfall for 15 years.
Thousands of Peruvians have lost their homes and farmland to the floods.
Five people are reported to have died, including two residents killed when their home was destroyed, and a trekker crushed while sleeping in a tent.