A fire near the main road leading to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru has killed one person and injured two others, officials said on Saturday.
The blaze began on Friday in the Sacred Valley of the Cusco region, which is also home to the Ollantaytambo train station—the primary gateway for travelers visiting Machu Picchu.
“We have one elderly person who died in the flames and two others with second-degree burns,” Miguel Osco, head of the Cusco Regional Office for Disaster Management and Safety, told RPP radio.
How did the fire start?
Osco said the fire originated from controlled bush burning that farmers carry out to clear land for crops.
The flames spread quickly because of the hot, windy weather and dry vegetation, he added.
The Incas built Machu Picchu in the 15th century.
Located at an altitude of 2,500 metres in the Andes Mountains, the historic sanctuary is regarded as an architectural masterpiece.
UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 1983.
Machu Picchu is Peru’s most famous tourist destination, attracting about three million visitors every year.
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