At least 13 dead as tourist plane crashes during flight over Peru’s Nazca Lines

A tragic plane crash near Peru's famed Nazca Lines has claimed the lives of 13 people, including a group of foreign tourists and the flight crew. The Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft went down in Pueblo Viejo, a site approximately 6 kilometers from Nazca city and 12 kilometers from the iconic geoglyphs. Local authorities confirmed the fatalities, identifying the passengers as seven Italians, two Germans, and two Spanish nationals. The pilots were identified as Americo Salazar Cuellar and Irenka Del Carpio.

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We have information that 11 passengers and two crew members have died. Given the severity of the accident, there are no survivors. We have recovered four bodies so far.

The plane had departed from the nearby city of Pisco around 1 p.m. local time for an overflight of the Nazca Lines. However, it lost contact with the control tower minutes later and crashed at 1:20 p.m. The cause of the accident remains unknown, and an investigation has been launched by local authorities. "Given the severity of the accident, there are no survivors. We have recovered four bodies so far," stated Police Major Jorge Andrade at the crash site.

This incident is not the first to occur near the UNESCO World Heritage site, which draws hundreds of thousands of tourists annually. Several operators offer flights over the mysterious etchings, which date back to AD 200-700 and are best viewed from the air. Serious concerns have been raised about the safety and maintenance of the aircraft used for these tours. In 2022, a similar crash resulted in seven deaths, including Dutch and Chilean nationals. Previous accidents in 2010 and earlier that year also involved fatalities among tourists and crew members.

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The investigation of the accident and the oversight of aviation operations are the responsibility of the competent authorities, who will determine the causes and assign liability in accordance with the law.

Peru's tourism ministry expressed its "deep sorrow over the tragic deaths of tourists and crew members." The municipality of Nazca stated that "the investigation of the accident and the oversight of aviation operations are the responsibility of the competent authorities, who will determine the causes and assign liability in accordance with the law." The Nazca Lines, depicting vast figures of animals and geometric shapes, remain a significant draw for international tourism, despite the recurring aviation risks.

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Deep sorrow over the tragic deaths of tourists and crew members.