At least 13 people died when a small plane crashed in southern Peru on Saturday, August 1st, 2026. The victims included 11 passengers and two pilots, according to Police Major Jorge Andrade, who spoke from the crash site.

The plane was carrying mostly tourists on a flight to view the Nazca Lines, a renowned archaeological site featuring monumental geoglyphs carved into the soil. The Nazca Lines date back to between 500 BC and 500 AD and have been designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) due to their significant cultural value.

UNESCO describes the Nazca Lines as “among archaeology’s greatest enigmas because of their quantity, nature, size and continuity.”

Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism reported that more than 4.1 million tourists visited the country in 2025, which has a population just under 35 million.

This tragic crash adds to recent fatal incidents in Peru, including a minibus accident that killed at least 14 people and twin earthquakes that claimed at least five lives.

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