CUSCO, Jan 27 (NNN-ANDINA) – The airlift of tourists stranded in historical Machu Picchu town following flash floods that blocked the railway between Machu Picchu and Cusco is still in progress, Peruvian authorities said.

Late yesterday the sky in Cusco cleared out and the National Police?s helicopter which on Mon Jan 25 began the airlift continued operations again.

Peru’s Tourism Minister Martin Perez is directing from the airport here the airlift of stranded tourists who will be evacuated to Ollantaytambo.

More helicopters of Peru?s Armed Forces and others provided by the U.S Embassy are expected in the next few days to assist with the task, he said. Some helicopters have already delivered food and water to the nearby village.

Perurail, the company that runs the train line to Machu Picchu said it was working non-stop to clear the rock and mud covering the tracks to open access to the village.

The company also said it was providing stranded passengers with meals from a local hotel.

The head of the Council of Ministers, Javier Velásquez Quesquén, urged Cusco authoritites to make a realistic evaluation of the damages caused by heavy rains and floods to meet the immediate needs of the most affected areas.

During a meeting with local and regional authorities from Cusco, Quesquen said that the evaluation will estimate the resources needed to rebuild the area.

The delegation of ministers and the head of the National Civil Defense Institute (Indeci), Luis Palomino are here today support the work of the regional government and municipalities.

Three Indeci supervisors will verify damages to homes and streets, a team of the Ministry of Agriculture to cultivated areas, while the Minister of Women, Nidia Vilchez will support social programmes.

“Five helicopters are on standby to evacuate about 2,000 tourists stranded in (the district) of Machu Picchu and an aircraft with food and support will arrive in the area shortly”, he said.

Meanwhile, the unusual summer rains in Lima have turned the coastal desert of Lomas de Lachay National Reserve into a green paradise, the National Service of Natural Protected Areas (Sernanp) said.

Lachay, located 105 kilometres to the north of Lima has an extension of 5,070 hectares right on the coastal desert.

Its hills are a shelter for the fauna of the Peruvian coast and proof of the exuberant flora. It occupies sectors of the Huaura and Huaral provinces.

In the national reserve, people can see birds and mammals and enjoy the big flora and fauna that these hills house. — NNN-ANDINA

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