At least 22 people died and dozens more suffered injuries Thursday when a Bolivian Air Force cargo plane loaded with newly printed banknotes skidded off the runway at El Alto International Airport, plowed into a busy highway near La Paz, and sparked chaotic scenes as crowds descended on the wreckage to grab scattered cash.
The C-130 Hercules transport plane departed from Santa Cruz and crashed while attempting to land at the airport adjacent to Bolivia’s capital around 6:15 p.m. local time. Witnesses reported treacherous weather conditions at the time, including heavy hailstorms and lightning that may have contributed to the disaster.
The aircraft veered off the runway and barreled onto Costanera Avenue, destroying at least 15 vehicles before coming to rest in a field. Mangled car parts and aircraft debris littered the roadway as firefighters battled flames engulfing sections of the military plane.
“There are about 20, maybe a few more,” Police Col. Rene Tambo, head of the police homicide division in El Alto, told reporters as rescue workers combed through the wreckage. Bolivia’s health ministry confirmed that at least 37 people sustained injuries in the crash.
The plane carried eight crew members. One crew member was among the dead, while seven others survived with major injuries and were hospitalized, according to Bolivian authorities. Among the victims on the ground were 12 men, six women, and four children.
The cargo plane was transporting 18 tons of newly minted banknotes from Bolivia’s central bank when disaster struck. Thousands of bills scattered across the crash site, triggering a frenzied rush as bystanders scrambled to collect the cash. Video footage showed people darting between wreckage and bodies to grab handfuls of currency.
Police deployed tear gas and water hoses to disperse the growing crowds of looters and onlookers. In a desperate attempt to stop the theft, authorities eventually set piles of recovered banknotes ablaze at the scene. The Ministry of Defence issued a stern warning that the scattered currency had no legal value.
The ministry stated that the money had no official serial numbers and therefore no legal or purchasing power, adding that collecting, possessing, or using it constitutes a crime.
The chaos extended beyond the immediate crash site. Criminals exploited the confusion to target nearby businesses, prompting the La Paz Prosecutor’s Office to arrest 12 people for questioning. Prosecutor Luis Carlos Torres confirmed the detentions as authorities worked to restore order in the area.
Cristina Choque, a 60-year-old vendor, experienced the terror firsthand when aircraft wreckage struck her vehicle. She described the harrowing weather conditions moments before impact: “A heavy hailstorm” was falling and “there was lightning” when the plane went down.
Choque and her family remained trapped inside their mangled car, too afraid to emerge amid the surging crowd outside. Her daughter suffered a head wound in the crash.
Defence Minister Marcelo Salinas confirmed the plane “landed and veered off the runway” but provided few additional details about what caused the aircraft to lose control. The Ministry of Defence announced it would launch a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
El Alto International Airport suspended all operations following the accident, temporarily grounding flights to and from the terminal. The Bolivian Air Navigation and Airports authority NAABOL worked to assess damage and determine when normal operations could safely resume.
Hospitals in El Alto launched urgent blood donation campaigns to treat the dozens of injured victims. Medical facilities across the region prepared for potential increases in patient numbers as rescue teams continued extracting casualties from the wreckage.
La Paz, situated at 3,650 meters (11,975 feet) above sea level and surrounded by towering Andean peaks, holds the distinction of being the world’s highest administrative capital. The extreme altitude and challenging mountain terrain create notoriously difficult conditions for pilots attempting to land at the airport.
The 49-year-old Lockheed C-130H Hercules, delivered in 1977, had served as a workhorse transport aircraft for the Bolivian military for decades. The four-engine turboprop plane typically demonstrates reliable performance. Investigators will examine whether extreme weather, high altitude, or mechanical issues contributed to the tragedy.
As recovery efforts continued Saturday, authorities focused on identifying victims and preventing further looting attempts. The investigation into what caused Bolivia’s deadliest aviation disaster in recent years will likely take weeks or months to complete.
The incident marks another dark chapter in Bolivia’s aviation history and highlights the dangers faced by military transport crews operating in one of the world’s most challenging flight environments.