The number of people killed in heavy flooding over the past several days in southern Peru has risen to 20. Local officials said at least five more people are missing and almost 40,000 others have been affected. Peru's Cuzco region in the Andes is the worst-hit. According to officials, nearly 4,000 tourists who were stranded near the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, were airlifted. They were trapped after floods and landslides destroyed road and rail links to the famous site. Reports say hundreds of villages spread over a wide area were airlifted but now this may pose a far greater challenge to the authorities. Many local residents are now trying to salvage what they can from their destroyed houses. Other regions such as Puno, Ayacucho and Huancavelica were also hit hard by the torrential rains. Officials said the floods are the worst to hit the country in years.