A tourist plane carrying European visitors has crashed near the ancient geoglyphs of Nasca Lines in Peru, killing 13 people, local authorities have said.
The plane, operated by the Peruvian company Aerodiana, was on a sightseeing tour of the famous Nasca Lines when it went down on Saturday.
According to the Nasca municipality, the plane took off from the nearby city of Ica. Aerodiana said it had been operating the Cessna Grand Caravan flights over the Nasca Lines for the past 14 years.
The Nasca Lines are a group of large geoglyphs etched into the desert floor by Peru’s ancient inhabitants. The designs, which depict various animals, can only be clearly seen from the air or from special viewing towers.
Peru’s transport ministry said the victims included seven Italians, two Spaniards, and two Germans, aged between 18 and 78. The pilot, Americo Salazar, and co-pilot, Irenka Guanilo del Carpio, also died in the crash.
Investigation Underway
President Keiko Fujimori expressed her condolences over the crash and said a decision would be made on whether to suspend temporary operations at the Nasca airport after receiving reports from relevant ministries.
Peruvian authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Aerodiana has yet to comment on the incident.
Replies
No replies yet. Log in to be the first to reply!