A plane carrying European tourists crashed near the city of Nazca, Peru, on Saturday, resulting in the death of 13 people. The aircraft, which was on a sightseeing flight over the Nazca Lines, included seven Italians, two Spaniards, two Germans, and two crew members. President Keiko Fujimori expressed sorrow over the incident and stated that a decision on suspending airport operations would be made following an investigation report.
According to local authorities, the plane took off from the nearby city of Ica and was operated by the Peruvian company Aerodiana. For the past 14 years, the company has been conducting sightseeing flights over the Nazca Lines using a Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft. The Nazca Lines are a collection of enormous geoglyphs created by ancient inhabitants of Peru by etching designs into the desert floor.
The Peruvian Ministry of Transport reported that the victims ranged in age from 18 to 54 among the seven Italians, with the two Spaniards aged 52, and the two Germans aged 77 and 78. Additionally, the pilot, Americo Salazar, and co-pilot, Irenka Guanilo del Carpio, also lost their lives. Peruvian authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Aerodiana has yet to issue any immediate response regarding the incident.
