SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
Lima: A small tourist plane crashed on Saturday as it flew over the Nazca Lines archaeological site in southern Peru, killing 13 people.
Peru’s Ministry of Transport said in a statement that the plane was carrying 11 foreign tourists – German, Italian and Spanish visitors – and two crew members.
The ministry said the plane crashed in the area of Socos, approximately 6 kilometres from the city of Nazca and roughly 19 kilometres from the Nazca Lines site.
The small plane, a Cessna Caravan C-208 belonging to local Peruvian airline Aerodiana, had taken off from Pisco Airport at roughly 12.10pm local time (3.10am Sunday, AEST).
About 1pm, the crew reported an emergency to the control tower at Nazca Airport, after which all radio contact was lost, the Transport Ministry said.
After crashing, the plane caught fire, making any rescue impossible, according to Peruvian broadcaster RPP.
Firefighters and police officers were dispatched to extinguish the fire and begin recovery efforts.
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 cause of the crash was unknown; the government said it was investigating the incident.
Aerodiana said in a statement that it “will assess its flight schedule in accordance with the directives of the relevant authorities”.
The Nazca Lines, enormous drawings and geometric figures etched into the desert plains in the south of the country, are one of Peru’s main tourist destinations, attracting approximately 100,000 visitors annually. Tourists 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 40km/h, 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.
Reuters
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