13 killed as tourist plane crashes in Peru

Thirteen people were killed after a small plane carrying tourists has crashed in Peru on Saturday (August 1).

The aircraft, a Cessna Caravan C-208 operated by Peruvian airline Aerodiana, went down at about 1:00pm (local time) near Pueblo Viejo, shortly after departing from Pisco Airport for a scenic flight over the UNESCO World Heritage site.

According to Peruvian officials and local reports, the aircraft was carrying 11 tourists and two pilots. All occupants were killed in the crash.

Peru's state news agency said the passengers included seven Italians, two Germans and two Spaniards, while the BBC reported that the aircraft had been conducting a sightseeing flight over the ancient Nazca geoglyphs when it crashed.

The cause of the accident has not yet been determined. Aviation authorities have launched an investigation.

Video footage released by Reuters showed firefighters dousing the wreckage as smoke billowed from the crash site. Emergency crews remained at the scene for several hours recovering the victims and securing the area.

The Municipalidad Provincial de Nasca expressed "deep sorrow" over the tragedy and extended its condolences to the victims' families in an official statement.

Aerodiana also expressed sympathy to the families of those killed and said it would review its flight operations in accordance with directives issued by aviation authorities during the investigation.

The Nazca Lines, one of Peru's most iconic tourist attractions, consist of hundreds of enormous ancient geoglyphs etched into the desert floor. Because the figures can only be fully appreciated from the air, scenic flights have long been a popular attraction for international visitors.

The latest tragedy is not the first fatal accident involving sightseeing flights over the archaeological site. In 2022, seven people were killed when another tourist aircraft crashed during a Nazca Lines tour, while a similar accident in 2010 claimed six lives.

Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft's maintenance records, weather conditions and flight data as part of efforts to determine what caused the crash.