As a result of a minibus accident in Peru, four tourists died and 16 were injured, four of them French, after visiting the Machu Picchu fortress, local authorities reported yesterday concerning the AFP agency.
Two of the dead tourists were Colombian, and the identities of the other two have not yet been officially identified, regional authorities in Cusco said.
In addition to four Frenchmen, the victims included two Greeks, two Canadians, two Israelis, two Argentines, two Peruvians, one Dutchman, and one more tourist, whose identity has not yet been established.
The accident happened on the night from Sunday to Monday, a hundred kilometers from Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas and the main center for visiting Machu Picchu.
The minibus plunged into an “abyss more than 100 meters deep,” Labor and Tourism Minister Roberto Sanchez said, adding that “there was fog at the time of the accident.”
Some of the wounded had to be transported to the capital city of Lima by a plane provided by the Air Force, the minister added.
In Peru, traffic accidents often occur due to the poor condition of the road network, speeding, or the absence of road signs, according to AFP.