Thirteen dead after tourism aircraft crashes near Nazca Lines in Peru

A tourist plane crashed on Saturday near the Nazca Lines in southern Peru, killing 13 people, including 11 foreign tourists and two crew members. The Cessna Caravan C-208, operated by Aerodiana, took off from Pisco Airport and reported an emergency before losing contact. The cause is under investigation.

A small tourist plane crashed on Saturday while flying over the Nazca Lines archaeological site in southern Peru, killing all 13 people on board, according to Peru's government. The Commerce and Tourism Ministry said the plane was carrying 11 foreign tourists and two crew members. The aircraft, a Cessna Caravan C-208 operated by the local airline Aerodiana, had taken off from Pisco Airport at approximately 12:10 p.m. local time. Around 1:00 p.m., the crew reported an emergency to the control tower at Nazca airport, after which all radio contact was lost. The plane crashed in the area of Socos, about 6 km from Nazca and roughly 19 km from the Nazca Lines site. After crashing, the plane caught fire, making rescue impossible, according to Peruvian broadcaster RPP. Firefighters and municipal police were dispatched to extinguish the fire and begin rescue efforts. The cause of the crash is unknown, and local authorities said they will investigate. Footage shared on social media showed smoking wreckage, but Reuters could not independently verify it. Aerodiana said it would assess its flight schedule in accordance with authorities' directives. The Nazca Lines, enormous drawings etched into desert plains, are a major tourist destination, attracting about 100,000 annual visitors, who typically view them from small aircraft. Flights over the site had been suspended on Friday due to winds exceeding 40 kph, which reduced visibility.