Machu Picchu Peru: Bus full of tourists plunges off cliff in foggy conditions after carrying them back from iconic landmark
Dozens of tourists have been injured after a bus carrying them back from an iconic landmark plunged down a steep bank.
The bus fell 50 feet after the driver lost control of the motor while he drove the narrow mountain road in the foggy Andes. The group were returning from the Inca World Wonder to the town of Aguas Calientes.
Footage from the scene showed the crushed front of the bus face-down on the tarmac. Locals can be seen desperately using their bodies to stabilise the bus and prevent it toppling over and falling even further down the mountain, with some tourists remaining on board.
Several of the 30 victims suffered broken bones in the horror smash. It was not immediately clear if there were any British injuries, with most tourists from Italy and South and Central America, local media says.
The crash happened just before midday local time yesterday (Monday 16 September). at the famous Machu Picchu site in Peru. The most seriously-injured tourists were taken to a nearby health centre for initial treatment before being evacuated by train to the city of Cusco.
Local reports said foggy conditions at the time of the crash had made driving difficult. An investigation into the incident is now underway. Machu Picchu, the jewel of the Peruvian tourism industry, was built in the 15th century as a religious sanctuary of the Incas and is located in the Amazon of southeastern Peru at nearly 8000ft altitude.