13 Dead After Tourist Plane Crashes Near Peru's Nazca Lines

A tourist plane carrying 11 European visitors and two Peruvian crew members crashed during a sightseeing flight over Peru's famous Nazca Lines on Saturday, killing everyone on board. The Cessna Grand Caravan C 208, operated by local airline Aerodiana, went down in the Pueblo Viejo area near Nazca after the crew reported an emergency to air traffic control. The aircraft lost contact moments later and crashed into a field, catching fire on impact. There were no survivors.

Peru's Transport Ministry said the victims included seven Italian tourists, two Spanish nationals, two German citizens, pilot Américo Salazar, and co-pilot Irenka Guanilo del Carpio. The tourists were between 18 and 78 years old.

The flight had taken off shortly after noon from Pisco Airport for a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which draws around 100,000 visitors every year. The crash happened about 6 kilometres from Nazca city and around 19 kilometres from the Nazca Lines.

President Keiko Fujimori offered condolences to the families and said the government is considering a temporary suspension of airport operations while investigators examine the accident. Peru's Aviation Accident Investigation Commission has started a full probe. Aerodiana had not released an official statement at the time of reporting.

The accident has renewed concerns over the safety of sightseeing flights in the area, where fatal crashes have happened before. Flights over the Nazca Lines had been suspended a day earlier because of strong winds and poor visibility, forcing other aircraft to divert. However, officials have not linked the weather to Saturday's crash, and the cause remains unknown.