13 killed in horror plane crash above historic tourist destination

A horror plane crash in South America has killed 13 people - 11 tourists and two crew members.

The small tourist plane crashed late on Saturday after taking off at around 12.10pm (6.10pm BST) local time.

The Cessna Caravan C-208 crashed as it flew over the Naza Lines archaeological site.

At around 1pm local time, the crew reported an emergency situation over radio to the control tower at Nazca Aiport.

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All contact with the plane was then lost, Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communications said.

The Nazca Lines, created between 500 BC and 500 AD, is a popular tourist attraction and Unesco World Heritage site which brings over 100,000 tourists annually.

The Ministry of Transport said the plane crashed and caught fire near Socos - about 4 miles from the city of Nazca and 12 miles from the Nazca Lines.

On board the plane, were two German, two Spanish and seven Italian tourists, Roger Sarmiento, Mayor of Vista Alegre, told local media.

"Given the severity of the accident, there are no survivors. We have recovered four bodies so far," Police Major Jorge Andrade said.

Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori, who took office earlier this week, expressed deep regret over the fatal crash.

"The transport minister is conducting the corresponding investigation and the foreign minister is communicating with the consulates of the foreign citizens who have lost their lives," she said.

She added that a suspension of the airport was being considered.

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Firefighters and municipal police officers were deployed to carry out initial rescue efforts and extinguish the fire.

Video showed a smoldering wreckage being extinguished by firefighters.

The cause of the crash remains unknown.

Peru's Government has now launched a probe into the horror crash.

Peruvian airline Aerodiana said it would "will assess its flight schedule in accordance with the directives of the relevant authorities".

On Friday, flights over the landmark from nearby Maria Reiche Airport was suspended because of winds exceeding 25 mph.

The gusts forced two planes to divert to the Marcona Airport, according to local media.

The Nazca Lines, enormous drawings of geometric shapes and animals, are usually observed by tourists from the air in small aircraft.

In 2022, another small tourist plane crashed over the site, killing seven on board.

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