A deadly wildfire erupted near the primary access corridor leading to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru, leaving one person dead and two others severely burned, regional officials confirmed on Saturday. The incident has raised safety concerns along one of South America's most frequented travel arteries.

The blaze ignited on Friday in the Sacred Valley of the Cusco region, encroaching dangerously close to the Ollantaytambo railway station, the principal transit hub used by millions of international travelers en route to Machu Picchu. Miguel Osco, director of the Cusco Regional Office for Disaster Management and Safety, reported that an elderly resident tragically perished in the blaze, while two other individuals sustained second-degree burns and were rushed to nearby medical facilities.

According to authorities, the fire was triggered by controlled agricultural burning, a customary practice among local farmers to clear brush and undergrowth for cultivation. The combination of parched mountain vegetation, unseasonably hot weather, and gusty winds caused the flames to rapidly spiral out of control, threatening surrounding hillsides and infrastructure. Emergency personnel and firefighting units have been deployed to contain the blaze.

Perched at an altitude of approximately 2,500 meters in the Andes Mountains, the 15th-century Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is celebrated worldwide as an extraordinary architectural and cultural achievement. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, the historic landmark stands as Peru’s premier tourist attraction, drawing an estimated three million visitors each year.

Source: www.dw.com