Man dies after accident at Macchu Picchu

A German tourist has fallen to his death after attempting to take a selfie at the popular historic site, Machu Picchu.

It is reported that Oliver Park, aged 51, ignored warnings from site wardens and safety signs, when attempting to take a selfie, close to the edge of a cliff, of himself jumping in the air. However, Park lost his footing, and fell 100 metres to his death into the ravine.

The Peruvian emergency services were notified by a nearby warden, on Wednesday 29th June.

On Thursday 30th June, Park’s body was discovered, and he was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. His body was later taken to a nearby police station, before being taken to a morgue in Cusco.

Machu Picchu is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South America, and attracted almost 1.2 million visitors in 2013.

The authorities have admitted finding it difficult to keep up the safety of tourists at the historic site. The most common forms of death to occur at the site are usually altitude sickness, hiking accidents, and floods.

Deaths as a result of taking a selfie, or posing for photo, have risen over the years, following the recent selfie trend. Selfie deaths have recently become more common than shark attack deaths.

Published 01 Jul 2016

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