Tourist Aircraft Crashes in Peru, Killing 13

A sightseeing flight over Peru’s world-famous Nazca Lines ended in tragedy after an aircraft crashed in the south of the country.

The Aerodiana Cessna 208 Caravan issued an emergency alert shortly after taking off from the city of Ica before losing radar contact. The aircraft later crashed in the Pueblo Viejo area near Nazca.

All 13 people on board, including 11 foreign tourists and two pilots, were killed. Authorities said the tourists were citizens of Germany, Italy and Spain. The aircraft caught fire following the impact, and emergency crews arriving at the scene confirmed there were no survivors.

Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications and civil aviation accident investigators have launched an inquiry to determine the cause of the crash.

The Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are viewed from the air by approximately 100,000 tourists each year, with numerous sightseeing flights operated across the region.

Source: Reuters