Peru: Kiwi mates muck in to help locals fight floods

The usually sedate river in the town of Aguas Callientes has become a torrent. Photo / Mike Chisholm

A New Zealander stuck among hundreds of tourists in flood-ravaged Machu Picchu has been filling sandbags with the locals while her mates help out in a makeshift medical tent as evacuations continue.

Veronica Peat is one of 29 New Zealanders understood to be trapped in or around the area surrounding Machu Picchu after flooding and mud slides on Monday killed at least seven people and trapped at least 2000 tourists.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said local authorities had advised them about 800 people were evacuated yesterday and estimate the same number should leave the area today depending on the weather.

Ms Peat has been mucking in with the locals, who have been told they cannot leave the area unless pregnant or they have medical conditions.

"The group that I am with has been helping out the locals making sandbags and the like, and they have been really grateful for any help that they receive, providing food and water for the people who help out," wrote Ms Peat in an email to the Herald.

"Any tourists who have medical training are putting in shifts in the medical tent that they have set up."

Ms Peat said locals who had tried to walk out of the township told her railway lines had been washed out.

The Peruvian Army was involved in the evacuation of the area and "things seem to be happening faster" although their efforts had been hampered by the weather.

"The latest update we received was that all the people over 60 had been evacuated today - as well as the majority of the women and children.

"I have not felt scared at any stage, we understand that there are a lot of people in Peru a lot worse off than us at this stage and we know that we will be out in the next couple of days."

Ashton Lines-Sherwood from Auckland told the Herald he had been stuck in Aguas Calientes - the closest access point to Machu Picchu - for six days.

He said a normally sedate river next to the township was out of control and could now be "compared to Huka Falls in New Zealand".

Mr Lines-Sherwood was critical of local rescue efforts: "The newspapers and news around South America are saying that they [Peruvian authorities] are providing 11 helicopters to get us out of here in two days - this is bullshit. We have been stuck here for six days, the last two days have seen three helicopters."

He said two basic camps had been set up for the hundreds of tourists still trapped there although neither provided blankets.

Meanwhile, tourists were forming groups based along nationality lines, and were queuing for up to two hours, three times a day for food and water.

"There is no structure to this evacuation and tourists are having to take control," he said.

"We are fine but a little pissed off to be honest. We have had no contact from our government, or any other."

Christchurch man Ian Falconer, whose brother-in-law Mike Chisholm and wife Sheryl were also trapped in Machu Picchu, said the couple yesterday managed to escape via helicopter.

He said Mr Chisholm described the evacuation process as "absolutely appalling" with local police apparently accepting bribes from people to get on helicopters while the injured and elderly were being left behind.

MFAT yesterday said it had contacted 15 of the 29 New Zealanders understood to be in or near the flood-affected areas.

Spokesman Dave Courtenay said those accounted for were safe.

He said New Zealand Embassy staff in Peru were in contact with local authorities and the British Embassy, who have a list of New Zealanders believed to be in the affected areas.