ALL 13 people on board a light aircraft were killed after it crashed shortly after take-off while transporting foreign tourists to Peru's renowned Nazca Lines archaeological site.
The accident occurred shortly after 1pm local time (1800 GMT), moments after the aircraft departed from Pisco Airport, approximately 240 kilometres south of the capital, Lima.
Police Major Jorge Andrade said the victims comprised 11 passengers and two members of the flight crew.
"We received information that 11 passengers and two crew members had died," AFP reported Andrade saying at the crash site.
He said there were no survivors due to the extent of the impact.
"Based on the extent of the destruction caused by the crash, there were no survivors. So far, we have recovered four bodies," he said, without disclosing the identities of the victims.
Andrade did not provide any preliminary indication of what may have caused the crash.
Peru's Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation, with investigators already deployed to the scene to gather evidence.
Firefighters and police officers continued recovery operations amid the wreckage of the heavily damaged aircraft, which was still emitting smoke, according to images shared by local media on Facebook.
Peru's Ministry of Foreign Trade said in a statement that all 11 passengers were foreign tourists and that it would provide assistance to the embassies of the countries involved.
Local radio station RPP reported that the victims comprised seven Italian nationals, two Germans and two Spaniards.
The Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southern Peru, are among the country's most popular tourist attractions, drawing thousands of visitors each year who view the ancient geoglyphs from the air. - August 2, 2026
