Striking Peruvian miners on a third day of protests cut off the land routes to Arequipa, the country's second most important city, officials said Tuesday.
Six people have been killed and some 20 wounded in clashes since Sunday as some 7,000 independent miners have blocked stretches of the north-south Pan-American highway.
The miners want Congress to overturn new regulations for independent mining operations, which they say kill jobs and are aimed at paving the way for large companies to enter areas they operate in.
However the Peruvian government has said that unregulated mining operations pollute Amazon jungle rivers, and are linked to rainforest deforestation and child labor exploitation.
The miners say the new government rules especially affect gold mining operations in the southeastern Madre de Dios jungle region, where most independent miners work.
Peru is the world's fifth gold producer, and according to the strikers there are some 300,000 independent miners.
More than 1,500 vehicles, including busses and cargo trucks, have trapped on either side of the blockade, officials said.
The city of Arequipa, some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south-east of Lima, has been hardest hit by the blockade, which has also affected the southern cities of Moquegua and Tacna.
To help travelers the Peruvian air force has been flying stranded passengers to Arequipa aboard transport planes, but are overwhelmed by the demand.
Protests broke out at the Arequipa airport as angry travelers demand an increase in flights out of the city, local radio reported.
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