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Machu Picchu Rail Service Restored After Deadly Head-On Crash as Probe Advances

Authorities probe alleged protocol breaches with four rail workers detained.

Overview

  • Concessionaire FTSA says trains resumed on Dec. 31 at 1:35 a.m. after inspections found no track damage, with the damaged units secured at the Pampacahua siding for operator-led removal.
  • Health officials report 104 people were hospitalized, 53 have been discharged, and 51 remain under care with mostly mild to moderate injuries; the deceased was identified as Roberto Francisco Cárdenas Loayza.
  • Police and prosecutors opened a culpable homicide inquiry, detaining four employees from PeruRail and Inca Rail who underwent alcohol tests with results pending; those held include Ricardo Marcelo Condori Canales, José Luis Jara Luque, Guido Gómez Cárdenas and Luis Carlos Peña Loyza.
  • A Pampacahua community leader alleged the Inca Rail train advanced out of turn at km 94.2 on a blind curve, a claim not confirmed by authorities and not addressed publicly by the operators.
  • Survivors described chaotic evacuations and said a company pledged to cover medical costs, while the president visited patients and the Cusco governor criticized private clinics’ handling of victims.