Bolivia Cargo Plane Crash Near La Paz
A cargo plane transporting newly printed Bolivian currency crashed Friday near Bolivia’s capital, La Paz, damaging about a dozen vehicles on a nearby highway, scattering banknotes across the ground, and killing at least 15 people while injuring others.
Incident Details
Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas stated that the C-130 Hercules aircraft veered off the runway at El Alto International Airport after landing, before sliding into an adjacent field. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames that engulfed the plane.
The Bolivian Air Force aircraft originated from Santa Cruz in eastern Bolivia. Air Force General Sergio Lora reported that two of the six crew members remained unaccounted for as of late Friday.
Casualties and Damage
Fire Chief Pavel Tovar confirmed at least 15 deaths, without specifying whether the victims were on the plane or in the vehicles on the highway. Tovar added that at least 15 vehicles suffered damage from the crash.
Social media footage captured debris from the aircraft, wrecked cars, and bodies along the road.
Public Response and Security Measures
Images showed crowds rushing to grab the scattered bills at the site, prompting police in riot gear to disperse them. Tovar noted that hundreds of people collecting the money hampered rescue operations.
Authorities deployed more than 500 soldiers and 100 police officers to secure the area and break up the crowd.
Police and military personnel burned the cash boxes in the presence of Central Bank President David Espinoza. He declared the bills “have no legal value because they never entered circulation,” explaining that the banknotes had arrived in Santa Cruz from abroad. Espinoza did not disclose the total amount of money involved.
Aftermath
Officials continue to investigate the cause of the crash. All flights to and from El Alto airport have been temporarily suspended.
