13 Killed As Plane Carrying European Tourists Crashes Near Peru’s Nazca Lines

A plane carrying European tourists on a sightseeing flight over Peru’s famed Nazca Lines crashed into a field outside the city of Nazca, killing all 13 people on board, local authorities said.

Seven Italians Among Tourists Killed

Nazca’s municipal government said the aircraft, operated by Peruvian company Aerodiana, had taken off from the nearby city of Ica on Saturday.

Aerodiana says on its website that it has operated scenic flights over the Nazca Lines for the past 14 years using Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft.

Among those killed were seven Italian citizens aged between 18 and 54, two Spaniards, both aged 52, and two Germans aged 77 and 78, Peru’s Transportation Ministry said.

Pilot Américo Salazar and co-pilot Irenka Guanilo del Carpio were also killed, the ministry said in an official report.

Nazca Lines A Major Tourist Attraction

The Nazca Lines are a collection of extensive geoglyphs created in the desert around Nazca hundreds of years ago by Peru’s Indigenous inhabitants.

The geoglyphs form images of animals that can only be fully appreciated from aircraft or viewing towers, making scenic flights over the area a popular way to see them.

Authorities Launch Investigation

President Keiko Fujimori expressed regret over the crash and said a “temporary suspension” of the airport was under consideration. She said a decision would be taken after receiving reports from the relevant ministries.

Peruvian authorities have launched an investigation into the crash.

Aerodiana was not immediately available for comment.