Plane crash in Peru's Nazca; 11 foreign tourists among dead
What's the story
A tragic plane crash near the Nazca Lines in Peru has claimed the lives of all 13 people on board. The aircraft, a Cessna Caravan C-208 operated by local airline Aerodiana, was on a sightseeing tour of the ancient geoglyphs when it went down. The passengers included 11 foreign tourists from Germany, Italy, and Spain along with two crew members.
Crash details
Aircraft reported emergency before losing communication
The plane took off from Pisco Airport around 12:10pm local time and was headed toward the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Nazca Lines.
However, it reported an emergency to air traffic controllers at Nazca airport around 1:00pm before losing communication.
The wreckage was found in Socos, about six kilometers from Nazca city and nearly 19km from the archeological site.
Rescue challenges
Aircraft caught fire on impact
Local reports indicated that the aircraft caught fire on impact, making it impossible for rescue teams to reach the passengers.
Firefighters and police were dispatched to douse the flames and recover bodies from the wreckage.
Videos on social media showed smoking wreckage of a small plane scattered across the desert landscape.
Ongoing investigation
Aerodiana to review flight operations
Peruvian authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of this tragic incident.
Aerodiana has said it will review its flight operations according to directives from relevant authorities.
The Nazca Lines, which attract around 100,000 visitors annually, are famous for their massive geoglyphs carved into the desert by Peru's Indigenous inhabitants hundreds of years ago.
Tourist attraction
Flights were suspended due to strong winds
The Nazca Lines are best viewed from the air, as they form images of animals and plants several kilometers long. The site is believed to have had ritual astronomical functions.
The crash comes a day after sightseeing flights were suspended due to strong winds reducing visibility by kicking up dust.
Local media reported that adverse weather conditions forced two separate tourist flights to divert to Marcona Airport on Friday.