My Mail Forwards: [FunOnTheNet] Machu Pichhu Floods And Rescue

The last of nearly 4,000 tourists stranded for days by floods and mudslides near Machu Picchu in Peru have been airlifted to safety.

Some 3,500 holidaymakers had been stuck near the Inca ruins since Monday after the worst flooding the region has seen in 15 years.

Torrential rain triggered mudslides that washed away parts of the train track connecting the world heritage site with the nearby city of Cusco.

Rescuers used 12 helicopters to make 276 flights over the course of four days.

Peru's tourism minister Martin Perez said: "Not a single tourist remains in Machu Picchu or in the town of Aguas Calientes."

Police and the military have conducted an extensive search of hotels and homes "to verify that there was not a single tourist in the zone", he added.

More than 25,000 people have been affected by the floods and authorities confirmed that seven people were killed.

When the railway line was destroyed, the only other route out of the site was a four-day trek along a narrow mountain pathway, known as the Inca Trail.

But the route was closed after an Argentinian hiker and his Peruvian guide were killed on the path when it was also hit by mudslides.

Peru Rail has said it could take two months to repair the rail connection but President Alan Garcia insists that will be too long a delay for visits to Machu Picchu.

"We will set up helicopter flights to take tourists there, but it's possible it will be more expensive," he said.

The 15th Century Inca citadel, located on a mountain ridge 43 miles from Cusco, attracts over 400,000 visitors a year.

In pictures: Machu Picchu airlift: