As has been widely covered in news around the world, there have been severe mudslides in the Cusco area, which have cut the train line between the city of Cusco and Machu Picchu. This train line is the only way of reaching Machu Picchu and as a result nearly 2000 people have been cut off, mainly in the small town of Aguas Calientes which is at the foot of the Machu Picchu mountain.
Most of these people are staying in hotels in Aguas Calientes, but there are also approximately 300 people who are staying in the town's station. These people have been provided with blankets and basic rations, which is expected to be supplemented today.
The Peruvian government is now operating several helicopter flights a day to Aguas Calientes to transport food, water and blankets into the town, and to evacuate out the people. The process has obviously begun with anyone with medical needs, children and the elderly; it is expected that the process will continue throughout this week until everyone has been evacuated back to Cusco. Cusco airport is operating normally and so there is no problem of connection with the rest of the country.
Our latest information from Cusco is that the train is not expected to run before the start of next week, although obviously this is based on preliminary inspections and we will keep you up-to-date as soon as we have any news ourselves.
It is not unusual for there to be occasional problems with transport during the rainy season in the Andes, but this year's rains have been exceptionally severe, and the problems caused are more serious than anything in the last decade. As always when there is any problem affecting our customers, we are working hard to find ways around the problem, and offering alternative arrangements where required. We will, of course, be keeping in touch regularly with any existing customers who may be affected but you can always check www.therealperu.co.uk for the latest news, or subscribe to our RSS feed below.