Fire near Machu Picchu access road leaves one dead
A fire broke out on the road leading to Peru's Machu Picchu, killing one person and injuring two others. The blaze started from controlled farmland burning that spread amid hot, windy, dry conditions.
A fire burning near the main access road to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru has killed one person and left two others injured, officials said on Saturday.
The blaze began on Friday in the Sacred Valley of the Cusco region, an area that also contains the Ollantaytambo train station, the busiest transit point for travelers heading to Machu Picchu.
Miguel Osco, head of the Cusco Regional Office for Disaster Management and Safety, told radio station RPP that an elderly person died in the flames, while two others suffered second-degree burns.
How the fire started
Osco explained that the fire originated from controlled bush burning that local farmers conduct routinely to clear land for crops. Hot, windy weather combined with dry vegetation caused the flames to spread rapidly beyond control.
About Machu Picchu
Built by the Incas in the 15th century, Machu Picchu sits at an altitude of 2,500 meters in the Andes Mountains and is widely regarded as an architectural masterpiece. UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site in 1983.
The site remains Peru's most visited tourist attraction, drawing roughly three million visitors annually.
