At least 1 Canadian among passengers in fatal bus crash in Peru, minister says

The bodies of the four victims of a bus accident in the tourist area of ​​Machu Picchu arrived at Lima airport on Tuesday, along with an injured tourist who was taken for further medical treatment.

A minibus carrying 20 passengers hurtled down a road about 26 kilometers from the citadel of Machu Picchu, descending 100 meters on Sunday in an area known as Abra Malaga.

Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century as a religious sanctuary for the Incas and is located in the southeastern Amazon of Peru at 2,490 meters above sea level.

“The 20 people affected by this unfortunate accident are Colombians, Argentinians, Peruvians, as well as citizens of Greece, France, Holland, Israel, Canada”, confirmed the Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism , Roberto Sanchez.

The minibus had a Peruvian driver and guide, as well as a Peruvian tourist.

French tourist Timothée Malexieux, who was among the passengers, told reporters that they had all returned from visiting Machu Picchu and that he was sleeping when the spill happened.

“Physically I’m fine,” he added briefly in Spanish.

Driver recklessness and excessive speed are the main causes of road accidents in Peru. Experts have said for nearly two decades that the solution is comprehensive transport reform, but no government has initiated it.

Between January and October 2021, some 2,053 people died in traffic accidents in Peru, according to the latest figures available.

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