Thirteen Die in Tourist Plane Crash Over Peru's Nazca Lines

A tourist plane crashed in southern Peru on Saturday, killing all 13 people on board. The victims include eleven foreign tourists and two crew members. Initial reports indicate the casualties include seven Italians, two Germans, and two Spaniards. The aircraft, a Cessna Grand Caravan C-208, was flying over the Nazca Lines, which are pre-Columbian geoglyphs and a Unesco World Heritage site, when it went down in the Pueblo Viejo area of the Nasca province.

Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communications has temporarily suspended the operations of the airline, Aerodiana, pending an investigation into the company's compliance with aeronautical regulations and operational requirements. The Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Rogers Valencia, stated that the pilot reported a mechanical problem before radio contact was lost. Eight forensic experts are currently working to identify the bodies, a process that may take two to three days. They are coordinating with the consulates of Italy, Germany, and Spain to obtain dental records for identification.

One Spanish survivor who had flown on the same aircraft a week prior noted a lack of safety briefings and emergency protocol explanations before takeoff. Meanwhile, reports highlight a history of accidents involving the Cessna 208 Grand Caravan model, citing fatal crashes in Kenya, Alaska, and the Comoros in recent years.