A small Cessna 208 Caravan operated by AeroDiana crashed near Nazca, Peru, on August 1, killing all 13 people aboard, authorities confirmed [1, 2, 3]. The plane had taken off from Pisco airport about 240 km south of Lima before the crash [1, 2, 3].
The victims included 11 tourists and 2 Peruvian crew members [1, 2, 3]. The tourists were seven Italians, two Germans, and two Spaniards [1, 2]. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her "deepest condolences for the tragic plane crash in Peru, in which seven Italian citizens lost their lives" [1].
The crash site was located about 6 km from the city of Nazca in the southern Ica region [3]. The aircraft was conducting sightseeing flights over the Nazca Lines, a popular tourist attraction, at the time of the accident [1, 2].
Foreign Trade Minister Rogers Valencia said the pilot reported mechanical problems before the crash [1]. Carlos Cordero from the Transportation Ministry's aviation accident investigation commission said, "The plane exploded, apparently as a result of the impact; it did not explode beforehand" [1].
Due to the condition of the recovered bodies, DNA testing will be conducted to confirm identities [1, 2]. Authorities began recovering bodies and investigating the cause on August 2 [1, 2, 3]. The Public Prosecutor’s Office announced it would coordinate the investigation and oversee DNA testing on August 3 [1, 2].
