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DFAT staff to aid Machu Picchu rescue
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  }* B" [; E6 M6 XAustralian officials have been sent to towns DVD Rippernear the area hit by killer mudslides in Peru, as stranded Australians complain about the lack of consular support.

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' g' c7 T% Q0 G1 \' v3 u+ WAn estimated 2,000 tourists, including many Australians, were trapped when mudslides blocked roads and rail lines to the tourist town of Aguas Calientes, which is close to the famous Inca ruins of Machu Picchu.


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The Department of Foreign Affairs estimates #Xthat around 200 Australians have been trapped and it has sent staff to the nearby cities of Cuzco and Ollantaytambo to help evacuate the Australians.
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But DFAT is warning Australians not to attempt to walk to safety, despite a number of local guides fleeing the isolated town on foot.

1 t9 E1 h/ u9 P& R0 H" JCuzco, a city of 350,000, is 70 kilometres south east of Aguas Calientes and serves as the base for the majority of Inca Trail tours, while Ollantaytambo, 60 kilometres to the north-west of Cuzco, is a common starting point for the trail.

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, P% w* Z. S* B; VThe trail, which generally takes three to four days,DVD Ripper, ascends to more than 3,600 metres above sea level, winding past a number of Incan ruins before reaching Machu Picchu.
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6 u+ E5 k0 U) M: o# yFlooding and mudslides have cut all routesDVD Ripper in and out of Aguas Calientes, meaning the only way tourists can be evacuated is by helicopter.
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4 f* ^4 P/ u. QSome tourists have been frustrated by the pace of the rescue, with some people chartering private helicopters to get out of the town.



& b( C0 E! G: U! V, U& j"We have our 19 Australians still in Aguas awaiting evacuation. All of our Intrepid travellers are safe and well and are co-ordinated in a hotel in Aguas," she said.

. H/ \7 {& Y5 q, w' l" w. w/ o"The process has been quite slow but helicopters have been arriving again all day today as they have yesterday, but unfortunately our passengers are still located in Aguas."
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Ms Harvey says all of their clients have food and water but she concedes it is a difficult situation for everyone.
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She says the evacuation is contingent on weather, which has been variable.

She told ABC Radio's Jon Faine there are about 10 helicopters working as part of the evacuation effort.
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"We've been told there are roughly nine or 10 helicopters DVD Ripperin use in the air. They've been arriving again throughout the day today," she said.

"But the difficulty has been is the weather. The weather was better yesterday#X. It's OK today. It's been allowing for some evacuations to happen. It's a slow process."
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   DFAT staff to aid Machu Picchu rescue