7 killed when plane on Nazca lines tour crashes in Peru

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Authorities in Peru say a light plane carrying sightseers on a tour of the huge Nazca lines scratched in a coastal desert has crashed, killing all seven people aboard. A firefighter in the city of Nazca says the aircraft went down near an airfield Friday. The tour company that owns the plane says it carried five tourists, pilot and co-pilot. The nationality and identities of the tourists have yet not been determined. The Nazca lines are huge etchings depicting imaginary figures, creatures and plants that were scratched on the surface of a coastal desert between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago. They are believed to have had ritual astronomical purposes and are recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.