10:10 | Ica (Ica region), Feb. 1.
Below are drone photos that reveal the damage caused by a cargo truck in a part of Peru's famed Nazca Lines archaeological site last Saturday.
The pictures show the deep prints left by the heavy truck damaging parts of three
geoglyphs, as well as the prints left by other vehicles despite the warning signs prohibiting access to the protected area.
The damaged intangible zone is located around kilometer 424 of Panamericana Sur Highway.
The photos also show there is a guard house about 100 meters from the area.
Likewise, a second guard is seen at the viewpoint very close to the place.
At present, surveillance is conducted during the daytime but —as stated by Johnny Isla, representative of State-run Decentralized Culture Directorate of Ica (DDCC)—
vigilance will be tightened, even at night, to avoid further damage.
Even though the hiring of further staff has improved surveillance at the site, he said, it is still difficult to monitor its total area of 450 square kilometers.
This is not the first time the lines have been damaged.
In December 2014,
Greenpeace activists laid down a banner that read "Time for Change! The future is renewable" next to the Hummingbird geoglyph, causing permanent damage to it.
(END) MAO/RMB/MVB
Published: 2/1/2018