A tourist has been slammed online after being spotted sprinkling ashes at a world-famous cultural site.
In a clip that has since gone viral, a woman, who has not been identified by name, chucks the remains on the platforms of Machu Picchu.
Dressed in a black shirt, she can be seen carrying a transparent plastic bag reportedly containing ashes.
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She allows all contents of the bag to be released before folding up the plastic and casually leaving.
Before she does, however, the woman bows and can be seen embracing another person.
Her actions have sparked harsh criticism and have triggered calls for the preservation of the 15th-century archaeological site.
Many have become concerned about the UNESCO World Heritage landmark in Peru.
The Commission of Jurists of Cusco has asked to investigate the act, considering it a possible attack on the Cultural Heritage of the Nation.
In a statement, they have warned that scattering ashes in Machu Picchu is not only inappropriate but violates the norms that protect the area, as reported by Need To Know.
A member of the commission, lawyer T’ika Luiza Obregón, has emphasised that archaeological areas are not depositories of any type of ashes.
T’ika feels that this action could be a way of promoting the scattering of a deceased person’s ashes at areas that hold significance like Machu Picchu.
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