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A train driver has died and at least 40 people have been injured in a head-on rail collision near Peru’s most popular tourist attraction, Machu Picchu.

Two trains collided on the single track leading to the ancient Inca town on Tuesday, according to a statement from the local government.

It said that 20 ambulances had attended the scene and that injured people had been transferred to medical facilities in the nearby city of Cusco.

The US embassy in Peru said that US citizens were injured in the crash, while the UK Foreign Office said it was “supporting a number of British nationals involved”.

Local media outlet Peru21 reports that hundreds of tourists remain at the scene awaiting evacuation, which has been hampered by difficult terrain around the crash site.

At least 20 of the injured are in a serious condition, a health official told the Reuters news agency.

The collision occurred on the track linking Ollantaytambo Station and Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu. The journey between the two stations usually takes around 90 minutes.

The two trains involved in the accident were operated by PeruRail and Inca Rail respectively.

“We deeply regret what has happened,” PeruRail said in a statement, adding that its staff had “immediately” provided first aid to the train driver, the train conductor and the passengers involved in the incident.

The cause of the accident has not yet been made clear.

The crash comes amid an ongoing dispute between providers of transport to the Unesco world heritage site, with local communities unhappy with what they say is an insufficiently open bidding process.

The trains and buses that take tourists to the ancient town have steep ticket prices and can be highly lucrative due to its limited accessibility.

Built in the Peruvian Andes in the 15th Century, the Incan city of Machu Picchu is one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World.

Visitors can take a series of trains and buses to reach the site, or hike along the Inca trail with a registered tour operator.

In 2011, officials implemented a daily cap on visitors to protect and preserve the site, but concerns remain about overtourism.

Thousands of heavily armed police officers are patrolling the streets of Sydney as people mark the new year – a rare and stark sight in Australia, following the Bondi Beach mass shooting.

Some officers were authorised to carry high-grade weapons as part of heightened security measures. The attack on 14 December targeted Australia’s Jewish community and killed 15 people at a Hanukkah festival.

New South Wales (NSW) Police said more than 2,500 officers would be on duty across the city.

Official New Year’s Eve parties were paused at 23:00 local time (12:00 GMT) for a minute’s silence to commemorate the victims of the attack, while the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up by a white light to symbolise peace.

Pictures from Sydney Harbour – where huge crowds gather every year to watch the city’s famous fireworks display – show officers patrolling the crowds with longarm weapons.

In the lead up to the event, Premier Chris Minns had warned that some people may find the sight “confronting”, with police “carrying firearms and weapons that you haven’t seen before”.

“But I don’t make any apology for that. We want people to be safe in our community,” he added.

British tourists Joe and Lucy said the increased police presence reassured them.

The pair – who timed their Australia trip to coincide with the fireworks – were in Melbourne when the shooting occurred.

“We had our worries about coming for New Year’s Eve”, Joe told the BBC, adding, “but we were reading more recently in the news… how more police were going to be here, it would be a bit safer”.

Separately, Minns had urged Sydneysiders to not let the “horrible criminal terrorist event” at Bondi change the way they live, as he called on people to “show defiance” and celebrate the new year.

This sentiment was shared by some of the spectators.

Out among the crowds at Barangaroo’s Observatory Hill, a close spot to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, was Hélène from Belgium.

She told the BBC people “cannot live in fear” following the attack.

Hours ahead of the countdown, hundreds of thousands of people flocked towards the harbour, with many official viewing areas filling to capacity by early evening.

On the harbour, sailboats dotted the water – one of the best spots to watch the midnight fireworks display.

Sydney’s celebration – with its iconic fireworks display – kicks off a chain of events, from Dubai, to London and New York.

Additional reporting by Harry Sekulich