Nine Irish among 2,000 stranded by mudslides at Machu Picchu

THE Department of Foreign Affairs was last night providing consular assistance to nine Irish tourists who were among 2,000 people stranded by mudslides in the Machu Picchu region of Peru where a state of emergency has been declared.

The tourists, who have not yet been named, were trapped after the main road into Machu Picchu Park was blocked by flash flooding.

Most of those stranded were said to have been provided with emergency accommodation and none were thought to be in any danger.

Plans were under way last night to airlift the Irish group to safety along with tourists from many other countries.

Rescue teams were only able to evacuate people via helicopter, as mudslides and torrential rain have left the road and rail tracks into the area impassable.

The government declared a state of emergency and the company that runs trains between the Inca ruins and the nearby city of Cusco suspended all services.

Tourists became trapped at the World Heritage site in the jungle in eastern Peru after the heaviest rains in the area in 15 years flooded the region over the weekend.

An Argentine tourist and a Peruvian guide were killed along the trail in separate mudslides, the Peruvian government said.

The deaths raised to five the number of people killed by heavy rains that have caused floods and landslides and collapsed homes.

Of the 2,000 stranded tourists in the villages of Machu Picchu Pueblo and Aguas Calientes near the citadel, government and private helicopters managed to fly 475 to safety. It was not known of any of those were Irish.

Peruvian and US authorities sent in eight helicopters to bolster rescue efforts. The US helicopters are based in Peru and normally used for drug operations and police training.

Five days of torrential rains in the Cuzco region destroyed bridges, houses and hundreds of acres of crops.

Tourists slept in Machu Picchu village’s train station and the central plaza after hostels ran out of space, while restaurants raised prices as food became scarce.

The Department of Foreign Affairs says at least nine Irish people are believed to be among the 2,000 people stranded in Peru in the Machu Picchu region.