At least 20 people died and 28 were injured when a Bolivian air force C-130 Hercules cargo plane carrying new banknotes crashed while landing at El Alto International Airport near La Paz on Friday. The aircraft skidded off the runway, struck vehicles on a highway, and came to rest in a field, scattering bills across the scene.
Local media footage showed crowds gathering to collect the scattered banknotes, prompting riot police to use teargas to disperse them. Authorities later set the money alight in a bonfire. The defence ministry stated that the notes had no official serial numbers and thus no legal value, warning that possession or use constituted a crime.
Witnesses reported treacherous weather, including lightning and heavy hail at the time of the crash. Cristina Choque, a 60-year-old vendor whose car was hit by wreckage, said a tyre fell on her vehicle, injuring her daughter. She and her family stayed inside their mangled car for fear of the crowd.
The plane had departed from Santa Cruz and was transporting new banknotes from the central bank. Two of the six crew members remained missing as of Friday evening. The defence ministry announced an investigation into the crash, while airport operations were suspended.
