Helicopter carrying foreign tourists goes missing in Peru

A helicopter carrying more than a dozen foreign tourists has gone missing in southern Peru, police have said.

According to the Agence France Presse, the aircraft – which was transporting 11 South Koreans, two Austrians and a Peruvian to the world-famous Machu Picchu tourist site – disappeared in the Hualla Hualla region, after leaving the south-eastern city of Mazuco on Wednesday.

Police General Hector Dulanto told the Associated Press that the last communication with the helicopter – which is run by the company Helicusco – took place on late Wednesday afternoon.

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Bad weather has hampered mountain rescue services’ hunt for the helicopter, and a police patrol is on its way to the region to assist in the search. However according to the BBC the helicopter is believed to have gone missing in a very mountainous area that is often covered in clouds, which would make locating the aircraft difficult.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists make their way to the Cusco region each year to visit Machu Picchu, an Incan city built in the 15th century that rests on a mountain above the town of Aguas Caliente, the BBC reports. 

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