A sightseeing flight carrying tourists crashed in southern Peru on Saturday, leaving all 13 people on board dead, authorities have confirmed.
The aircraft, a Cessna Caravan C-208 operated by local airline Aerodiana, went down at about 1:00 p.m. local time in the Pueblo Viejo area shortly after taking off from Pisco Airport.
The plane was conducting a scenic tour over the famous Nazca Lines, a UNESCO-listed archaeological site, when the crash occurred. On board were 11 passengers and two pilots.
According to Peru’s state news agency, the passengers included seven Italians, two Germans and two Spaniards. Officials have yet to determine what caused the accident, with investigations now underway.
Police Major Jorge Andrade said there were no survivors.
“Given the severity of the accident, there are no survivors. We have recovered four bodies so far,” he said.
The Municipality of Nasca expressed deep sadness over the tragedy in a statement issued in Spanish, extending its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
Aerodiana confirmed that the aircraft involved belonged to its fleet and said it would review its flight operations in line with directives from the relevant authorities as investigations continue.