La Paz, Bolivia — A military cargo plane carrying newly printed banknotes crashed Friday near Bolivia’s capital, killing at least 15 people and injuring others as wreckage and currency littered a busy roadway, officials said.
The aircraft, a Bolivian Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane, was en route from the eastern city of Santa Cruz to La Paz when it veered off the runway at El Alto International Airport and plowed into vehicles on a highway that runs alongside the facility.
Local fire chief Pavel Tovar told reporters that authorities had confirmed at least 15 fatalities, though it was not immediately clear how many of those were aboard the aircraft and how many were in vehicles struck by the crash. Several dozen others were reported wounded.
Scenes of Chaos as Money Scattered
The plane was carrying large bundles of newly printed banknotes from the Central Bank of Bolivia when it went down, and the impact sent bills flying across the highway. Videos and images shared on social media showed residents rushing onto the scene to collect the scattered money, complicating rescue efforts.
Police and military personnel eventually moved in, using water hoses and, in some reports, tear gas to disperse onlookers and secure the area so that emergency services could access the crash site.
Airport Operations Halted, Investigation Launched
Flights to and from El Alto International Airport — one of the country’s busiest air hubs — were temporarily suspended following the accident. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, though early information has been limited.
Defense officials have not yet offered a detailed explanation for why the aircraft left the runway; some local reports suggested it may have lost control while attempting to land amid poor weather conditions.
National Response
The Bolivian government expressed condolences for the victims and pledged full support for families affected by the disaster. Central Bank authorities also noted that the banknotes involved had not yet entered legal circulation, meaning they were not officially in use as currency at the time of the crash.
Officials have stressed that the investigation will seek to clarify both the cause of the crash and the response of emergency services in its aftermath.
