LIMA, Peru (Kashmir English): A small tourist plane crashed just moments after taking flight resulting in the death of all 13 people on board, in Peru.
According to police, the plane took off for an aerial tour of the Nazca Lines in the South American country but crashed.
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at approximately 1:00 PM local time when the plane departed from Pisco airport, located about 240 kilometers south of Lima.
Shortly after taking off, the plane crashed to the ground and was completely destroyed.
Peru plane crash claims 13 lives
According to Police Major Jorge Andrade, 11 passengers and 2 crew members lost their lives in the incident.
He said the rescue workers recovered four bodies from the wreckage during the initial operation amid lesser hopes for any passenger or crew member to survive.
Upon receiving news of the crash, teams from the fire brigade, police, and other relief agencies arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area to begin rescue and investigative operations.
Images circulating on social media showed the wreckage of the plane engulfed in flames, while rescue workers were busy controlling the fire and securing evidence.
The country’s civil aviation authority has launched an investigation into the incident with the cause of the accident not yet been determined.
Multiple small planes fly daily from Pisco airport for aerial tours of the Nazca Lines. The Nazca Lines, included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list, consist of giant and mysterious designs made in the desert plains, which thousands of tourists from around the world visit Peru to see every year.
