Cusco , Peru ( CNN ) -- Authorities in Peru have rescued the last of hundreds of travelers who had been stranded by flooding in a town near one of South America 's most popular tourist destinations , a government official said Friday . Tourism Minister Martin Perez said 1,460 tourists were evacuated from Aguas Calientes , bringing the total rescued during the past three days to 4,005 -- 3,500 of them tourists . Thirteen helicopters in 268 flights took them to the city of Cusco , though one group of Colombians indicated they had not wanted to leave , he said . Days of heavy rain had triggered flash floods and landslides around Machu Picchu , the ruins of an Incan settlement in southern Peru 's Andes Mountains . The floods closed roads , bridges and rail lines , stranding tourists from around the world in the small town closest to the ruins . They also killed at least seven people , including an Argentine tourist , according to news reports . The tourists became stranded after a landslide early in the week blocked a rail line to Cusco , the nearest major city , said Martin Perez , Peru 's minister of foreign trade and tourism , according to the state-run Andina news agency . Peruvian authorities said they have given priority to children , the elderly and the ill , regardless of their nationality . Authorities estimated that 10,000 people were affected by the rain and 2,000 homes were ruined in and around Machu Picchu . The Peruvian government declared a state of emergency in two regions around Machu Picchu -- Cusco and Apurimac . The floods have damaged thousands of acres of crop land , washed out about a dozen bridges and damaged several highways . Don Jacinto , whose parents and grandparents lived in one affected area , said his relatives could not recall the rivers ever raging so strongly . Machu Picchu is an ancient city on a mountain in the Andes , standing 8,000 feet ( 2,430 meters ) above sea level in a tropical mountain forest . Known as the `` Lost City of the Incas , '' Machu Picchu attracts tens of thousands of international tourists every year . CNN 's Maria Elena Belaunde in Cusco and journalist Claudia Cisneros in Lima contributed to this report .
NEW : Last of tourists stranded by flooding are evacuated , a government official said Friday . NEW : The total rescued during the past three days was 4,005 , tourism minister says . Comment: At least seven people killed in flooding , reports say .