A plane carrying several European tourists to view a major landmark crashed into a field, killing 13 people, local authorities said.
The incident happened outside the city of Nazca in Peru.
The aircraft crashed on Saturday as it was heading to the famous Nazca Lines near Peru’s southern coast, renowned for its rich archaeological heritage and popular tourist attractions.
The small aircraft had departed from Pisco Airport at approximately 1pm local time (7pm BST) but lost contact with air traffic controllers just minutes into the flight, police said.
The crash happened at around 1.20pm local time in Pueblo Viejo, some 12km from the Nazca Lines. Images and videos from the scene of the crash shared on social media showed the smoking wreckage of what appeared to be a small aircraft.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
Peruvian authorities said an investigation has been launched.Among the fatalities were seven Italian citizens between the ages of 18 and 54, two 52-year-old Spaniards and two Germans of 77 and 78 years, Peru’s Transportation Ministry said.
The other two people who died in the crash were the pilot, Américo Salazar, and copilot Irenka Guanilo del Carpio, the ministry said in an official report.
According to Peru’s Ministry of Commerce and Tourism, the plane was carrying a total of 11 passengers and two pilots.
The Nazca Lines are a vast collection of ancient geoglyphs etched into the desert landscape.
President Keiko Fujimori expressed regret over the incident and said a “temporary suspension” of the airport was being considered, though the decision will be made once she receives reports from the relevant ministries.
