A plane carrying newly printed Bolivian currency crashed near Bolivia’s capital, resulting in at least 15 fatalities and multiple injuries. The incident occurred at El Alto airport, adjacent to La Paz, where a Hercules C-130 aircraft veered off the runway and caught fire, ultimately landing in a nearby field. Firefighters successfully extinguished the flames engulfing the plane.
According to Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas, the exact number of casualties remains unspecified, with investigations ongoing to determine the cause of the crash. Fire chief Pavel Tovar confirmed the death toll of at least 15 individuals, without specifying if they were passengers on the plane or individuals in the vehicles damaged on the nearby highway.
Bolivian Air Force General Sergio Lora reported that two crew members out of the six on board were still missing as of late Friday. The aircraft had been en route from Santa Cruz in eastern Bolivia. Social media images depicted debris, damaged vehicles, and scattered bodies at the crash site, with around 15 vehicles sustaining damage.
The Bolivian air force-owned plane was en route to La Paz with the currency onboard, leading to a chaotic scene where bystanders rushed to collect the scattered bills. However, rescue operations were impeded by the large crowd attempting to retrieve the money, prompting the deployment of over 500 soldiers and 100 police officers to maintain order.
In response to the situation, police and military personnel incinerated the cash boxes in front of Central Bank President David Espinoza, who clarified that the bills held no legal value as they had not yet entered circulation. The exact amount of money being transported was not disclosed, but it was confirmed that the banknotes had been received in Santa Cruz from overseas. As a precautionary measure, all flights to and from the airport terminal were temporarily halted.