Peru: Thousands of Residents and Tourists Evacuated After Heavy Rains in Cusco [VIDEOS] Airlifting too slow: tourists asking for help

The government of Peru has sent five military helicopters today to rescue over 2,000 stranded residents and foreign tourists, trapped in the town of Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) after days of heavy rain.

Mudslides have covered part of the tracks of the only train service that connects the area with the city of Cusco. Entire towns are isolated because of overflown rivers and blocked roads. Heaviest rain season in over 15 years. Evacuation is slow and tourists are asking for help.


Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu (click for better view)
Source: Google Maps. Rendering by Peruanista

Casualties. Four people are confirmed dead, three Cusco natives and one Argentinean tourist. Update: Telesur reports of 8 casualties and 50 injured as today:

At least 8 people have died and other 50 are injured as a result of heavy rains […] in Cusco, south of Peru, where 7,000 hectares of crops have been submerged under the mud. [...] According to the Ministry of Exterior Commerce and Tourism about 60 people have been evacuated today, mostly elderly, people with health issues, women and children. [...] The president of the Association of Tourism Agencies of Cusco, Marco Ochoa, said that this catastrophe is causing losses of $750,000 to a million dollars every day.

Aguas Calientes is a small commercial town located in the lower side of Machu Picchu, the sacred Indigenous citadel and the biggest touristic attraction of Peru. Visitors coming to Machu Picchu have to take the British-owned PeruRail service, or walk for days by the famous Inca Trail. There are no roads nor airports connecting the area.

A delegation of ministers of the Lima government will travel today to Cusco to evaluate the damages and execute an emergency plan. Among the thousands of tourists stranded are included visitors from the U.S. Europe, 500 Argentinians, 100 Brazilians.

These are videos posted online that show the magnitude of damages in Cusco area. Some of the videos were posted by Huaccataqui and Apu_Rimak and Enlace Nacional:

Floods and mudslides in the Cusco region have affected the provinces of Calca, Quispicanchi, Urubamba, Canchis, La Convención and Anta. Roads are blocked, a military airplane is coming today from Lima bringing medicines and tents, the regional government has announced, while the Garcia administration has declared the regions of Cusco and Apurimac in a state of emergency. Source: Enlace Nacional




Floods in the city of Cusco
Source: TV Canal 2 - Cusco



Chilean tourists desperate video message
from Aguas Calientes

"The municipality authorities are not talking to us, we don't know what to do, the weather is nice but we don't know why the helicopters aren't coming, it's 11 am. and nothing is coming, some say they are coming but only the elderly will be evacuated. The Mayor is not talking to us, the food is scarce, everything is going expensive, we the Chileans are all together helping each other, all the visitors are pushing the authorities to speak to us, but the rumors is that it will take 15 days to get us out of here, so we are desperate, help us..."




Floods in Cusco
Source: Panamericana TV Lima




Floods in the town of Urubamba
Source: TV Canal 2 - Cusco




500 Argentinean tourists plea for help in Aguas Calientes




Overflow currents in the Urubamba river