Seven killed after plane touring Nazca lines crashes in Peruvian desert

A light plane carrying sightseers for a tour of the Nazca lines in the Peruvian desert has crashed, killing all seven people aboard.

Local police said that the deceased included three Dutch tourists, two Chilean tourists and two Peruvian members of crew.

The head of the Nazca police, Cmdr Edgar Espinoza, told journalists that the plane apparently caught fire after hitting the ground.

Aero Santos, the tour company that owns the plane, said the craft carried five tourists, a pilot and a co-pilot.

The protected 400-square-kilometer (250-square-mile) region, which lies some 450 km south of the capital Lima between the towns of Nazca and Palpa, is often viewed by tourists from the sky to get the best view of the huge ancient figures.