A rafting accident has claimed the lives of two Australian women in Peru, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says.
A departmental spokeswoman said a 64-year-old and a 59-year-old, both from New South Wales, were killed in a "rafting incident" in Cusco, Peru.
"The department is providing consular assistance to the women's families in Australia" she said.
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Local Peruvian police on Tuesday said the tourists, identified as Irene Williams and Colleen Matthews, were on an adventure tourism trip when they fell into raging river waters swollen by recent heavy rains.
Peru's main tourist attraction Machu Picchu, one of the world's most prized heritage sites, was closed in February after the rains cut off access to the ancient citadel.
Authorities had advised all boating services to suspend their operations in the wake of the downpour.
