More than 1,300 domestic and foreign tourists affected by the protests in Machu Picchu Pueblo district, Urubamba province (Cusco region), were evacuated on "humanitarian trains" from Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, to Ollantaytambo district.
The visitors were stranded until after 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 15, when Peru Rail and Inca Rail trains departed carrying vulnerable visitors, including children, pregnant women, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, to Ollantaytambo station. From there, they boarded buses to the city of Cusco.
Cusco Police Region Chief, General Julio Becerra, told Andina News Agency that the evacuation of tourists was carried out after coordination with the railway companies.
More than 200 visitors who remain in Machu Picchu Pueblo are expected to be transported today.
It is not ruled out that they may be evacuated through Hidroelectrica, at the other end of the Ollantaytambo–Machu Picchu Pueblo railway line.
About 15 people injured
To secure the evacuation of tourists, about 100 police agents clashed with demonstrators at kilometer 88, in a sector known as Qoriwayrachina. As a result of tear gas and stones, approximately 10 civilians and six police agents were injured.
The police chief reported that there are around 100 police personnel in Qoriwayrachina, with an additional 50 deployed to assist concerned visitors.
Railway operations remain suspended. Tourists arriving at Ollantaytambo Station are returning to their lodgings, some to the city of Cusco, while others are waiting for services to resume in the coming hours.
(FIN) PHS/MAO/JMP/MVB