A cargo plane loaded with newly printed currency crashed Friday near Bolivia’s capital, La Paz, damaging around 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 reported that the Bolivian Air Force’s Hercules C-130 aircraft veered off the runway at El Alto International Airport—adjacent to La Paz—while landing, before coming to rest in a nearby field. The plane had originated from the eastern city of Santa Cruz and was en route to La Paz with the currency.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames that consumed the aircraft. Fire Chief Pavel Tovar confirmed at least 15 fatalities, though he did not specify whether the victims were crew members aboard the plane or motorists on the highway. Tovar also noted that at least 15 vehicles sustained damage.
Bolivian Air Force General Sergio Lora stated that two of the six crew members remained unaccounted for as of late Friday. Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash.
Chaos at Crash Site
Social media footage captured debris from the plane, wrecked cars, and bodies strewn along the road. Crowds rushed to grab the scattered bills, prompting police in riot gear to intervene. Tovar highlighted that these crowds impeded rescue operations.
Over 500 soldiers and 100 police officers secured the area, dispersing the gathering. In a controlled burn, authorities incinerated the cash boxes under the supervision of Central Bank President David Espinoza. He explained that the notes “have no legal value because they never entered circulation.” Espinoza added that the banknotes had arrived in Santa Cruz from overseas but declined to disclose the total amount transported.
Airport Impact
Officials temporarily halted all flights to and from El Alto Airport following the incident.
