Peru Plane Crash has claimed the lives of 13 people after a tourist aircraft crashed near the world-famous Nazca Lines in southern Peru on Saturday, prompting an official investigation into one of the country’s deadliest aviation accidents involving sightseeing flights.

According to Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Cessna Caravan C-208 aircraft was carrying 11 foreign tourists—including visitors from Germany, Italy and Spain—along with two crew members. The plane belonged to local airline Aerodiana and departed Pisco Airport at approximately 12:10 p.m. local time for a sightseeing tour over the UNESCO-listed desert landmark.

The aircraft crashed in the Socos area, about 6 kilometres from the city of Nazca and roughly 19 kilometres from the Nazca Lines, a major tourist attraction visited by thousands of travellers each year.

More than 100 words into the tragedy, the Peru Plane Crash investigation has focused on the aircraft’s final moments after the crew reported an emergency to the control tower at Nazca Airport around 1:00 p.m. Shortly after the distress call, all communication with the aircraft was lost. Authorities later confirmed that the plane crashed and burst into flames, leaving no opportunity for rescue.

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Emergency responders, including firefighters and municipal police, rushed to the crash site to extinguish the fire and begin recovery operations. Local broadcaster RPP reported that the intensity of the blaze made rescue efforts impossible.

Videos circulating on social media appeared to show the smoking wreckage scattered across the arid desert landscape. However, the footage has not been independently verified.

Peruvian authorities have not yet determined the cause of the accident. Government officials confirmed that aviation investigators have launched a formal inquiry to establish what led to the fatal crash.

Aerodiana said it would review its flight operations and adjust future services in line with directives issued by aviation authorities during the investigation.

The Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site, feature enormous ancient geoglyphs etched into Peru’s desert landscape. The mysterious figures and geometric designs attract around 100,000 visitors annually, with many tourists choosing scenic flights for an aerial view of the landmark.

The accident occurred just one day after sightseeing flights departing from the nearby Maria Reiche Airport were temporarily suspended because of strong winds exceeding 40 kilometres per hour, which reduced visibility by lifting dust across the region.

Local media reported that the adverse weather conditions on Friday forced one aircraft carrying two Peruvian tourists and another transporting six foreign visitors to divert to Marcona Airport, raising questions about weather conditions in the area before Saturday’s crash.

Authorities are expected to analyse flight data, weather conditions and aircraft maintenance records as part of the ongoing investigation into the disaster.