Plane carrying tourists crashes in Peru, killing 13 during Nazca Lines sightseeing flight
Foreign visitors among 13 dead as Nazca Lines tour flight goes down
A plane carrying tourists crashed into a field outside the Peruvian city of Nazca on Saturday, killing all 13 people on board, local authorities said.
The aircraft was conducting a sightseeing flight over the famous Nazca Lines, a collection of ancient geoglyphs carved into the desert by Indigenous communities hundreds of years ago.
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Tourists among victims
Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism said the aircraft was carrying 11 foreign tourists and two crew members when it crashed.
State news agency Agencia Andina reported that the passengers included two German tourists, two Spanish tourists and seven Italian tourists.
Plane departed from Ica for scenic flight
Nazca’s municipal government said the plane had departed from the nearby city of Ica and was operated by Peruvian company Aerodiana.
The airline, which has offered scenic flights over the Nazca Lines for 14 years, operates Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft, according to information on its website.
The Nazca Lines feature images of animals and other figures etched into the desert landscape, which can be best viewed from aircraft or observation towers.
Investigation launched into crash
Peruvian authorities said an investigation into the cause of the crash was under way.
Aerodiana was not immediately available for comment.
