Tourists stranded in Peru finally set to fly home

Hundreds of stranded tourists gathered in Peru's capital on Monday to secure seats on humanitarian flights for their return home after more than two months of the country's coronavirus lockdown.

Citizens from the Netherlands, India, Ukraine, among other countries, boarded buses headed for a military airport to board a flight organised by the Dutch embassy.

Many of the individuals were tourists who arrived in Peru to travel to popular destinations such as Machu Picchu, and others were there for special events.

Babulal Marotia, Indian citizen who was waiting to board the bus, said he had been in Peru for an Indian festival and became stranded during the lockdown.

A second humanitarian flight was being organised by the Turkish embassy.

In mid-March, Peru closed all its airports, allowing only a few humanitarian flights.

It also enforced a mandatory nationwide quarantine.

Despite strict measures to control the coronavirus, Peru has become one of the countries worst hit by the COVID-19 disease.

Peru has 119,959 confirmed cases, and 3,456 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.