Cargo plane crashes near Bolivia’s capital, killing at least 15 people, official says

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — A cargo plane carrying money crashed Friday near Bolivia’s capital, damaging about a dozen vehicles on a highway, scattering bills on the ground and leaving at least 15 people dead and others injured, an official said.

Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas said the Hercules C-130 plane was transporting newly printed Bolivian currency when it “landed and veered off the runway” at an airport in El Alto, a city adjacent to the capital of La Paz, before ending up in a nearby field. Firefighters managed to put out the flames that engulfed the aircraft.

Fire chief Pavel Tovar said at least 15 people died but he did not clarify if the dead were in the plane or in the cars on the highway.

Salinas did not specify how many people had been killed in the crash and said the cause was being investigated.

Bolivian Air Force Gen. Sergio Lora said two of the plane’s six crew members had not been found as of late Friday, adding that the aircraft was arriving from the eastern city of Santa Cruz where it had picked up its cargo.

Images on social media showed debris from the aircraft, destroyed cars and bodies scattered on the road. According to Tovar, at least 15 vehicles were damaged.

The plane, belonging to the Bolivian air force, was transporting banknotes from the Central Bank and images on social media showed people rushing to collect the scattered banknotes at the crash scene, while police in riot gear tried to disperse them.

But Central Bank President David Espinoza later said the banknotes had no legal tender status since they were about to enter circulation and still lacked serial numbers. He said the bills were being transported to La Paz and did not specify how many bills were being transported.

Authorities temporarily suspended all flights to and from the terminal.

The Associated Press