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13 Die as tourist plane crashes during Nazca Lines flight in Peru
A sightseeing plane carrying European tourists to view Peru’s famed Nazca Lines crashed into a field outside the city of Nazca on Saturday, killing all 13 people on board, local authorities said.
According to Nazca’s municipal government, the aircraft departed from the nearby city of Ica and was operated by Peruvian airline Aerodiana. The company says it has been offering scenic flights over the UNESCO-listed Nazca Lines for the past 14 years using Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft.
The Nazca Lines are vast geoglyphs etched into the desert centuries ago by Peru’s Indigenous inhabitants. The giant figures, depicting various animals, can only be fully viewed from the air or from specially built observation towers.
Peru’s Transportation Ministry said the victims included seven Italian tourists aged between 18 and 54, two 52-year-old Spanish nationals, and two German tourists aged 77 and 78. The remaining victims were pilot Américo Salazar and co-pilot Irenka Guanilo del Carpio.
President Keiko Fujimori expressed sorrow over the tragedy and said authorities were considering a temporary suspension of operations at the airport. She said a final decision would be taken after receiving reports from the relevant ministries.
Peruvian authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Aerodiana did not immediately respond to requests for comment, reports UNB.