Thirteen passengers have been killed after a tourist plane on a sightseeing flight of the Nazca Lines in Peru crashed into a field, police said.
The plane was taking passengers over the archaeological site in the South American country, Nazca’s municipal government said in a statement.
The aircraft, which belonged to local airline Aerodiana, departed from Pisco airport located in the region of Ica, it added.
The plane lost contact with the control tower minutes after it departed from the airport, local news outlet RPP reported.
Local authorities said that the plane crashed in the area of Pueblo Viejo, approximately six kilometres from the city of Nazca shortly after 1pm local time.
Two pilots and 11 passengers, who are believed to be ‘foreign tourists’ are among those who have been killed in the crash, local media reports.
Seven Italians, two Germans and two Spaniards are among those who have died, RPP radio said.
In a statement, municipal officials of Vista Alegre, where the plane crashed, said preliminary findings indicated there was an ‘in-flight emergency’.
Thirteen passengers have been killed after a tourist plane on a sightseeing flight of the Nazca Lines (pictured) crashed into a field, officials have said
The plane was taking passengers over the archaeological site in the South American country (pictured), Nazca’s municipal government said in a statement
A nearby resident said the aircraft exploded on impact. A probe has since been launched by local authorities, while the cause of the crash remains unknown.
‘We have information that 11 passengers and two crew members have died,’ Police Major Jorge Andrade told reporters at the crash site.
‘Given the severity of the accident, there are no survivors. We have recovered four bodies so far.’
Aerodiana, which says it has offered scenic flights over the Nazca Lines for the past 14 years, was not immediately available for comment.
The Nazca Lines, enormous drawings and geometric figures etched into desert plains, are one of Peru’s main tourist destinations.
And dozens of small planes operate from the airport in Pisco, handling a large volume of primarily foreign tourists hoping to visit.
They attract approximately 100,000 annual visitors, with tourists typically viewing them from small aircraft flying over the site.
On Friday, flights travelling over the site from nearby Maria Reiche were suspended due to winds exceeding 40km per hour kicking up dust and reducing visibility.
The gales forced a small plane carrying two Peruvian tourists and another aircraft carrying six tourists to be diverted to the Marcona Airport, local media said.
In 2022, seven people were killed in a plane crash over the site, including two Chileans and three Dutch nationals.
In October 2010, four British tourists and two Peruvian crew members died when an AirNasca plane crashed after taking the tourists to view the site.
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