No fewer than 15 people have been killed and over 30 others injured after a military cargo aircraft transporting newly printed banknotes crashed near Bolivia’s capital city on Friday evening.
The incident occurred around 6:20pm local time during landing at El Alto International Airport when the aircraft reportedly skidded off the runway and rammed into vehicles along a busy road in El Alto, close to the administrative capital, La Paz.
Officials said the Bolivian Air Force C-130 Hercules plane had departed from Santa Cruz de la Sierra before losing control during landing operations.
The aircraft reportedly struck several vehicles, damaging about a dozen cars before coming to a halt in a nearby field.
Fire Chief Pavel Tovar stated that emergency responders were still working to establish whether the casualties were passengers onboard the aircraft or motorists caught in the collision.
Firefighters later extinguished flames caused by the crash impact.
Authorities confirmed that bundles of newly printed Bolivian banknotes being transported by the aircraft were scattered across the roadway, triggering chaotic scenes as residents rushed to collect the money while police officers attempted to secure the area.
Security operatives reportedly used water hoses to disperse crowds gathered around the crash site.
The Defence Ministry has yet to provide detailed information about the operation, while the country’s air navigation authority said investigations were ongoing to determine the exact cause of the accident.
