The Foreign Office confirmed it is providing support to British nationals involved in the Peru train collision near the world-famous tourist site

05:10, Thu, Jan 1, 2026 Updated: 05:23, Thu, Jan 1, 2026

Individuals in outdoor attire, including rain gear and gloves, are attending to a person who appears to be injured, with one ind

An injured passenger from one of the two trains affected after a head-on collision connecting Machu Picchu with Ollantaytambo receives medical attention in Pampacahua, Cusco Department, Peru, on December 30, 2025. On December 30, 2025, a head-on collision between two trains on the line that services Peru's Machu Picchu killed one person and injured at least 40 others, authorities said, updating an earlier toll. (Photo by Carolina Paucar / AFP via Getty Images) (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The Foreign Office has confirmed it is providing support to several British nationals involved in a fatal train crash near Machu Picchu in Peru.

Two trains transporting tourists to and from the Incan citadel collided on Tuesday, December 30, leaving one person dead and more than 30 injured. The fatality was a railroad worker, The Mirror reports.

Services along the line connecting Machu Picchu with the city of Cuzco were suspended after the crash by the railway.

Individuals in safety vests and helmets are evacuating from a derailed train labeled "951" on a railway track.

Police officers carry an injured passenger from one of the two trains affected after a head-on collision connecting Machu Picchu with Ollantaytambo in Pampacahua, Cusco Department, Peru, on December 30, 2025. On December 30, 2025, a head-on collision between two trains on the line that services Peru's Machu Picchu killed one person and injured at least 40 others, authorities said, updating an earlier toll. (Photo by Carolina Paucar / AFP via Getty Images) (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

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A statement from the UK Foreign Office confirmed the involvement of British travellers.

"We are supporting a number of British nationals involved in a train collision near Machu Picchu, Peru, and are in contact with the local authorities," the statement read.

A train returning from Machu Picchu collided with a train travelling toward the site in the early afternoon, near Qoriwayrachina, also an archaeological site, according to the company operating the railway.

The cause of the crash remains unconfirmed.

A derailed train is positioned on a track between a rock face and an embankment, surrounded by red tape, indicating an accident

TOPSHOT - One of the two trains affected after a head-on collision connecting Machu Picchu with Ollantaytambo is pictured in Pampacahua, Cusco Department, Peru, on December 30, 2025. At least one person died and 40 others were injured on December 30, 2025, in a head-on collision between two tourist trains on the route to Machu Picchu in southeastern Peru, authorities said. (Photo by Carolina Paucar / AFP via Getty Images) (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Local media videos showed train carriages with broken windows and dented sides stuck along a rail line.

Machu Picchu, built in the 15th century by the Incas as a sanctuary for the nation's emperors, attracts around 1.5 million visitors annually. Visitor numbers to the site have increased by about 25% over the past decade.

Tourism in the area has been affected by political turmoil and disputes over how the site is managed. Protesters sometimes block the railroad to the site.

Machu Picchu is also accessible via a four-day trek from the quaint town of Ollantaytambo.