Tourist plane crashes in Peru, killing all 13 on board, including the pilot
A major plane crash occurred on Saturday near the Peruvian city of Nazca. A tourist flight carrying tourists to the world-famous Nazca Lines crashed into a field. All 13 people on board, including the crew, died. Local authorities confirmed the crash.
The plane was on an aerial tour for tourists
The Nazca city administration said in a statement on Facebook that the plane was flying to provide tourists with an aerial tour of the Nazca Lines. The Nazca Lines are giant geoglyphs carved in the Peruvian desert, created by indigenous people hundreds of years ago. These massive figures depict various animals and can only be fully viewed from airplanes or special viewing towers.
The plane had taken off from the city of Ica
According to officials, the crashed plane had taken off from the nearby city of Ica. The plane was operated by the Peruvian private airline. According to the airline’s website, the company has been operating scenic flights over the Nazca Lines using Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft for the past 14 years.
11 Foreign Tourists Were on Board
Peru’s Ministry of Trade and Tourism said in a statement that the plane that crashed on Saturday was carrying 11 foreign tourists and two crew members. The state-run news agency, Agencia Andina, reported that there were two German, two Spanish, and seven Italian tourists on board. Peruvian authorities said the accident was under investigation.
Cause of the Crash Unknown
The cause of the crash is currently unknown. Peruvian authorities have launched an investigation. Witnesses reported that the plane completely broke up and caught fire upon hitting the ground. The rescue and relief team reached the spot and extinguished the fire and took out the bodies.
