The head of the Ministerial Cabinet, Ernesto Alvarez Mirandaassured this Wednesday that the first evidence of the train accident that occurred on the route to Machu Picchu points to a possible human error as the main cause of the collision between two passenger trains, which left several injured and the temporary suspension of services in the area.
“Everything seems to indicate that there has been a human error (…) What has failed, apparently, is the human element in terms of handling. Apparently one of the drivers, for some reason, either did not look or did not pay attention or thought that there were not going to be any consequences and ignored the signs,” he told RPP.
The statements were made during a meeting to evaluate the emergency situation headed by President José Jerí together with ministers and regional and local authorities in Cusco, after his arrival in the city to supervise the care and coordination actions after the incident.
Álvarez indicated that, although the official investigation is still continuing, the testimonies of the drivers and the first technical indications suggest that the collision occurred due to human failure in the operation of the machinery, before external or technical factors of the railway intervene.
The statements are produced within the framework of the process of evaluating responsibilities and the joint work between the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), the National Police of Peru (PNP) and technical teams working on the collection of evidence, interviews and data analysis of the railway system involved in the accident.
The crash, which affected units of the Inca Rail and PeruRail railway companies, has mobilized dozens of emergency and medical care teams to transport the injured to health centers in Cusco and nearby towns, where they are recovering under medical supervision. The care of those affected and the investigation of the causes remain priorities of the competent authorities.
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