A Bolivian Air Force cargo plane transporting newly printed currency crashed Friday near La Paz at El Alto airport, veering off the runway into a nearby field. The incident damaged around 15 vehicles on a nearby highway, scattered bills across the ground, and resulted in at least 15 deaths with additional injuries.
Incident Details
Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas confirmed the Hercules C-130 aircraft had just landed when it veered off course. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames engulfing the plane. The flight originated from Santa Cruz in eastern Bolivia, bound for La Paz.
Bolivian Air Force Gen. Sergio Lora reported that two of the six crew members remained unaccounted for as of late Friday.
Casualties and Damage
Fire chief Pavel Tovar stated at least 15 people died, though it remains unclear if the fatalities occurred among the crew or in the vehicles on the highway. Social media images captured debris, wrecked cars, and bodies along the road, highlighting the crash’s severity.
Public Reaction and Security Measures
Hundreds of bystanders rushed to collect the scattered bills, complicating rescue operations, according to Tovar. Police in riot gear, supported by over 500 soldiers and 100 officers, secured the area and dispersed the crowd.
Authorities burned the cash boxes under the supervision of Central Bank President David Espinoza, who explained that the bills “have no legal value because they never entered circulation.” Espinoza noted the notes had arrived in Santa Cruz from abroad but did not disclose the total amount transported.
Aftermath
Salinas indicated investigators are probing the cause of the crash. All flights to and from El Alto airport were temporarily suspended to manage the situation.
