Bolivian C-130 carrying newly printed banknotes crashes near La Paz, 15 dead

A Bolivian Air Force Hercules C-130 carrying newly printed banknotes veered off the runway at El Alto International Airport and crashed onto a busy avenue Friday, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens, officials said. Video circulating on social media showed wreckage, destroyed cars and bills strewn across the road as crowds surged toward the cash.

Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas said the plane "landed and veered off the runway" before coming to rest in a nearby field. Bolivian military officials and fire crews responded quickly; firefighters extinguished flames that had engulfed the aircraft, and emergency teams worked to clear wreckage and assist victims. Gen. Sergio Lora of the Bolivian Air Force said the plane had departed from Santa Cruz after picking up the shipment of newly printed currency and that two of the aircraft's six crew members had not been found late Friday.

Fire chief Pavel Tovar told reporters "at least 15 people died" and said the number of damaged vehicles was significant, placing one estimate at at least 15 vehicles and other accounts at about a dozen. Reuters reported at least 30 people were injured; other outlets described the toll more broadly as dozens hurt. Officials did not provide a breakdown of whether the fatalities occurred on board the aircraft or in the vehicles struck on the avenue.

Images and television footage showed scores of local residents rushing to collect the spilled banknotes. Authorities sought to prevent looting and to protect rescue operations, deploying water hoses, tear gas and police in riot gear to push back crowds. SquamishChief and Associated Press accounts cited an official claim that more than 500 soldiers and 100 police officers were sent to secure the scene; military and police forces were visible clearing the area and managing traffic around El Alto.

Central Bank President David Espinoza appeared at the crash site as security personnel burned cash boxes recovered from the aircraft, saying the bills "have no legal value because they never entered circulation." AP noted Espinoza did not clarify what he meant by that assertion. Boliviana de Aviacion said El Alto International Airport was temporarily closed following the crash and emphasized the military plane was not part of its commercial fleet.

Officials opened an immediate investigation into the cause of the accident. Early reports contained conflicting descriptions about whether the aircraft was taking off or landing; the defense minister's account that it landed and skidded off the runway appears to be the primary official narrative. Some outlets also described poor weather at the time of the accident, a factor investigators will likely examine.

Beyond the immediate human toll, the crash raises urgent legal and administrative questions for Bolivia. The public scramble for state-printed currency, the burning of cash boxes on site and the Central Bank's declaration about the bills' legal status complicate chains of custody and could become a flashpoint in a city where economic strains are already politically sensitive. Military aviation investigators will lead technical inquiries, and authorities have listed hospital confirmations, crew accounting and airport records among the priorities for clarification.

As families search for missing loved ones and hospitals tally the wounded, officials face pressure to provide clearer casualty breakdowns and a transparent rationale for how the state will secure, authenticate and account for the damaged currency.