On Friday evening (February 27), a serious air crash accident occurred in Bolivia. A C-130 Hercules transport plane carrying new banknotes from the Central Bank veered off the runway during landing due to bad weather and crashed onto a nearby busy street, resulting in at least 15 deaths and 30 injuries.
This tragedy took place near El Alto, close to the Bolivian capital La Paz. After the accident, scattered banknotes led to hundreds of people scrambling to grab them, even obstructing rescue efforts at one point. The military and police were eventually forced to burn the remaining banknotes on-site to maintain order.
Facing the chaotic scene of people grabbing money uncontrollably, Bolivia’s Ministry of Defense deployed over 500 soldiers and 100 police officers, using high-pressure water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds.
David Espinoza, the President of the Central Bank of Bolivia, immediately issued a statement to reassure the public, emphasizing that “these banknotes do not have legal value because they have never entered the circulation market.”
To prevent these new banknotes brought in from abroad from illegally entering the market, the military and police directly burned the remaining boxes of banknotes while clearing the scene.
Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas confirmed that the military plane was on a mission to transport new banknotes from Santa Cruz to the interior when it “veered off the runway upon landing” at El Alto Airport, then crashed into a nearby road before ending up in a field nearby.
Local Fire Chief Pavel Tovar stated that the plane crash affected at least 15 vehicles on the road, with the aircraft being engulfed in flames, which firefighters managed to extinguish upon arrival. It is currently unclear how many of the 15 victims were inside the aircraft and how many were passengers of the ground vehicles.
Tovar bluntly expressed that the chaotic scene of people grabbing money on site once hindered the search and rescue efforts: “Hundreds of people attempting to pick up scattered banknotes impeded the progress of rescue operations.”
Bolivian Air Force General Sergio Lora revealed that there were a total of 6 crew members on board, with 2 still missing as of Friday evening.
Following the accident, El Alto International Airport was temporarily closed, resulting in the suspension of all flights. The airport has since resumed operations. Authorities have initiated a formal investigation into the cause of the crash.