Flight over attraction in Peru ends in crash: three Dutch tourists died Abroad

A plane making sightseeing flights for tourists crashed near the world-famous ancient Nazca Lines: these include animal figures and geometric figures that were created on the ground, but are best seen from the air.

All occupants of the Cessna 207 plane were killed: the five tourists, the pilot and the co-pilot. The bodies are said to have been charred by the fire that broke out after an explosion that followed the crash.

The plane crashed near the Nazca airport in southern Peru. The Nazca Lines, some over 2,000 years old, are a World Heritage Site and a popular tourist attraction.

The Peruvian aviation authorities cannot yet say anything about the cause of the plane crash and are investigating, according to the Peruvian channel RPP.

Text continues below this tweet

The Peruvian Ministry of Transport reacted with shock to the news in a statement. “The ministry deeply regrets the loss of life. Minister Juan Silva expresses his solidarity with the families of the victims and emphasizes that the accident is being investigated.”

The aircraft was a single-engine Cessna 207 of the Aerosantos company. The plane had just taken off from the airport near Nazca, authorities said.

Text continues below this tweet

It’s not the first time a tourist flight near the Nazca Plateau has ended in tragedy. In February 2010, four Peruvians and three Chileans were killed in a similar accident. In April 2008, five French people were killed when their plane crashed.

The Nazca Lines are one of the top tourist attractions in Peru. The hundreds of huge images of people and animals can only be seen from the air. According to scientists, the lines were made between 200 BC and 700 AD by the Nazcas, one of the original peoples of present-day Peru.

Why and how they did that is still a great mystery. The United Nations organization UNESCO designated the plateau as a World Heritage Site in 1994.

Traveling companion of missing Natacha in Peru testifies: “The chance that she got lost is not excluded”

Brussels Natacha is missing in Peru: “We are worried”

Rescue workers are ready for the last half meter to reach Rayan (5): “But it is also the most risky”