A blaze was burning near the main access road to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru, leaving one person dead and two injured, officials said on Saturday. The fire began on Friday in the Sacred Valley of the Cusco region, which also includes the Ollantaytambo train station — the busiest for travelers visiting Machu Picchu. "We have one elderly person who died in the flames and two others with second-degree burns," Miguel Osco, head of the Cusco Regional Office for Disaster Management and Safety, told RPP radio.
Osco said the fire originated from controlled bush burning that farmers carry out to clear land for crops. The flames spread quickly because of the hot, windy weather and dry vegetation, he added. The Incas built Machu Picchu in the 15th century.
Located at an altitude of 2,500 meters in the Andes Mountains, the historic sanctuary is regarded as an architectural masterpiece. UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 1983. Machu Picchu is Peru's most famous tourist destination, attracting about three million visitors every year.
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