By Iñigo Alexander
LIMA, Aug 1 (Reuters) – A small tourist plane crashed on Saturday as it flew over the Nazca Lines archaeological site in southern Peru, killing 13 people, authorities in Nazca province said.
Peru’s Ministry of Commerce and Tourism said in a statement that the plane was carrying 11 foreign tourists and two crew members.
Local authorities said the plane crashed in the area of Pueblo Viejo, approximately 6 km (4 miles) from the city of Nazca and roughly 12 km (7 miles) from the Nazca Lines site.
The small plane belonged to the local Peruvian airline Aerodiana, local authorities said, and had taken off from the Pisco Airport. The company was not available for comment.
According to police reports to local press, the accident occurred at 12:55 p.m. local time while the plane was conducting a sightseeing flight and was preparing to begin its return journey.
After crashing, the plane caught fire, making any rescue impossible, according to Peruvian broadcaster RPP. Firefighters and municipal police officers were dispatched to extinguish the fire and carry out initial rescue efforts.
The cause of the crash is unknown and local authorities said they will investigate.
Footage shared on social media showed the smoking wreckage of what appeared to be a small plane on arid plains. Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage.
The Nazca Lines, enormous drawings and geometric figures etched into desert plains in the south of the country, are one of Peru’s main tourist destinations, attracting approximately 100,000 annual visitors. Visitors typically view them from small aircraft flying over the site.
Flights over the Nazca Lines departing from the nearby Maria Reiche Airport had been suspended on Friday due to winds exceeding 40 kph (25 mph), which kicked up dust and reduced visibility.
The strong winds forced a small plane carrying two Peruvian tourists and another aircraft carrying six foreign visitors to divert to the Marcona Airport, according to local media.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani, Mark Porter, Rod Nickel)
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