Bridge collapse strands tourists in Peru's Machu Picchu

Landslides triggered by heavy rains washed away a bridge connecting the 15th century Inca site of Machu Picchu in Peru, stranding some 250 tourists from several countries, a local official said Tuesday. With the collapse of the Aobamba bridge, said Ruben Pinto, mayor of the local Santa Teresa district, the visitors were cut off from the train station that shuttles visitors in and out of Machu Picchu. The mayor asked the tourists to remain at the site before municipal workers could fix the bridge. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, Machu Picchu is often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas." In 2013, the site attracted 3.16 million visitors from around the world, according to official figures.