Thirteen people were killed on Saturday when a small tourist aircraft crashed during a sightseeing flight over the Nazca Lines archaeological site in southern Peru, local authorities said.
Officials in Nazca province said the aircraft, carrying 11 passengers and two pilots, crashed near Pueblo Viejo, about six kilometres from the city of Nazca and approximately 12 kilometres from the world-famous Nazca Lines.
The aircraft, operated by the local airline Aerodiana, had departed from Pisco Airport for a sightseeing tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Local media reported that it lost contact with the control tower just minutes after take-off.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and authorities said an investigation is under way.
READ ALSO: Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site in Ahmedabad
Videos circulating on social media showed the smoking wreckage of what appeared to be the aircraft scattered across an arid plain. Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage.
The Nazca Lines, a vast collection of ancient geoglyphs and geometric figures etched into the desert, are among Peru’s most popular tourist attractions, drawing about 100,000 visitors each year. Most visitors view the site from the air aboard small sightseeing aircraft.
Flights from the nearby María Reiche Airport had been suspended on Friday after strong winds exceeding 40 kilometres per hour reduced visibility by blowing dust across the area.
According to local media, the adverse weather forced one aircraft carrying two Peruvian tourists and another carrying six foreign visitors to divert to Marcona Airport.
