A Bolivian military cargo plane carrying newly printed currency crashed near La Paz, Bolivia’s capital city, causing significant destruction and loss of life. Images circulating on social media show vehicles overturned in a field alongside the highway, with debris scattered across the road. The incident has left at least 15 people dead, though authorities are yet to confirm whether these fatalities occurred within the aircraft or outside it. Local fire chief Pavel Tovar reported several injuries but did not specify how many.
Witnesses claim the Hercules aircraft was either attempting a takeoff from or landing on the runway when it collided with vehicles in El Alto, an adjacent city. These conflicting reports add to the confusion surrounding the crash’s exact sequence of events. Firefighters were able to extinguish flames engulfing the wreckage but struggled against an influx of people rushing to collect scattered currency notes.
The plane was transporting a large quantity of fresh banknotes from the Central Bank to other cities, causing a substantial financial disruption as bills littered the ground at the crash site. Authorities have temporarily halted all flights to and from the airport terminal in La Paz.