A plane crash in Peru has left 12 people, mostly tourists, dead during a trip to the famous Nazca Lines, a series of archaeological sites comprising monumental geoglyphs carved into the soil, according to local authorities.
“We have information that 11 passengers and two crew members have died,” senior police official Andrade told reporters from the crash site in the country’s south.
Peru’s Transportation Ministry said the dead included seven Italian citizens between the ages of 18 and 54, two 52-year-old Spaniards and two Germans.
The other victims were identified as first officer pilot Americo Salazar and co-pilot Irenka Guanilo del Carpio.
According to local accounts, the crash site was quickly engulfed in flames, preventing any rescue and relief measures. The plane had reportedly departed from Pisco, in the department of Ica.
President Keiko Fujimori expressed regret over the accident and said a “temporary suspension” of the airport was being considered, pending reports from relevant ministries. Peruvian authorities said the crash is under investigation.
Peru is one of the most visited destinations and remains open all year long for tourists, mostly from Europe and North America, for its famous geoglyphs as well as the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu and the giant Indigenous stone walls of Cusco.
More than 4.1 million tourists visited the country of just under 35 million in 2025, according to Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism.
The Nazca Lines are located in the desert near the country’s southern coastal regions, along the Andean mountain range.
They date back to between 500 BC and AD 500 and have been designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in recognition of their value to global culture.
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