Irish tourist badly injured in fall from scenic viewpoint in South America

The elderly man, who is reportedly approximately 60 years old, suffered a “serious fall” from the stairs of the Garibaldi pass viewpoint, a popular tourist attraction that overlooks parts of the Andes.

The Irish national had travelled by motorcycle to the city of Ushuaia before stopping on his way to take some pictures.

“On the stairs he suffered a sharp fall,” local media reports. He suffered several injuries and “was assisted from the Lake Escondido health detachment”.

With a suspected fracture to the hip area, he was transferred by ambulance to a hospital in Ushuaia.

This latest incident follows the death of an Irish national who fell from a moving train in Thailand.

The man - who was taking a tour in the west of the country - was identified as 45-year-old Patrick Ward.

Mr Ward's passport stated he was born in New Zealand. His current place of residence was not immediately known, but he had entered Thailand on December 26 on a tourist visa.

Police said Mr Ward was travelling by train with a tour group from the capital Bangkok to Kanchanaburi town, where the bridge over the River Kwai - made famous in the film about the railway constructed by forced labour under Japanese Second World War occupation - is located.

After a brief stop, the group proceeded to Sai Yok waterfall, another popular tourist destination.

Police Major Kiatisak Kerdchok of the Sai Yok police said that, according to witnesses, when the train had slowed down at a scenic spot, Mr Ward had opened a door in the carriage and fallen seven to eight metres down a slope.

Local media reports suggested Mr Ward was trying to take a photograph when the accident occurred shortly before noon.

Police found Mr Ward's body at the scene with wounds but none that suggested foul play.

Mr Kiatisak said a full post-mortem examination would be conducted on Wednesday in Bangkok, and that fellow members of the tour group would be questioned.