At least 15 people were killed and more than 30 others injured after a military cargo aircraft crashed near Bolivia’s capital, La Paz, on Friday, authorities confirmed.
The aircraft, identified as a C-130 Hercules transport plane, reportedly skidded off the runway before crashing into a busy highway in the neighboring city of El Alto, damaging around a dozen vehicles before coming to a halt in an open field.
According to officials, the military cargo plane was transporting Bolivian banknotes from the country’s central bank to other major cities.
The impact caused large quantities of cash to scatter across the roadway, prompting crowds of local residents to rush toward the scene to collect the money, while police in riot gear attempted to disperse them, dw.com reports.
Firefighters succeeded in extinguishing the flames that erupted following the crash. Fire Chief Pavel Tovar stated that authorities have not yet clarified whether the fatalities were passengers aboard the aircraft or individuals traveling in vehicles on the highway at the time of the accident.
Bolivia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the incident but has yet to release full details regarding the circumstances of the crash. Meanwhile, the Bolivian Air Navigation and Airports Authority (NAABOL) reported that the aircraft had departed from the eastern city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, noting earlier conflicting reports about whether the crash occurred during takeoff or landing.
The country’s central bank is expected to provide further information during a press briefing later on Friday as investigations into the incident continue.
