A cargo plane carrying money crashed near the capital of Bolivia on Friday, damaging about a dozen cars on a highway and spreading bills on the ground. At least 15 people were killed and others were hurt, according to an official.
Rafael Salinas, the defence minister, said that the Hercules C-130 plane was carrying newly made Bolivian money when it “landed and veered off the runway” at an airport in El Alto, a city next to La Paz, and ended up in a nearby field. The firefighters were able to put out the fires that were spreading on the plane.
Pavel Tovar, the fire chief, said that at least 15 people died, but he didn’t say if they were in the plane or the cars on the highway.
Plane Skids Off Runway and Into Highway
At first, it was reported that the military cargo plane had taken off from Santa Cruz and was en route to the La Paz region when it lost control. Reports say the plane skidded off the runway while landing and then crashed onto a busy street nearby.
Eyewitnesses said it was terrifying as the big plane sped through traffic, hitting cars and throwing debris all over the road
The impact was very strong, and cars and aeroplane bits were all over the highway. As soon as the crash happened, it messed up airport operations. Flights were temporarily cancelled while relief teams worked to calm things down.
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At Least 15 People Died, Dozens Hurt
The government stated that the crash killed at least 15 people. It’s still not clear how many of the people who died were on the plane and how many were in the cars that were in its path. Besides the people who died, many others were hurt, some severely, and were taken to hospitals nearby to get care.
The full list of deaths has not been released yet because authorities are still trying to identify them. The tragedy has shocked people all over the country, and families are waiting with bated breath for news about their loved ones.
Banknotes All Over the Crash Site
The goods on the plane made the tragedy even stranger and more confusing. The plane carried brand-new bills from the Central Bank of Bolivia. When the plane went down, bags of cash were thrown into the air and onto the road.
Videos taken by eyewitnesses showed bills strewn across broken cars and in the trash. Some onlookers were seen trying to get the bills, which made an already tense situation even more chaotic.
Later, officials made it clear that the money that was moved had not yet been used by the public and was not real. Security guards were sent to the area to keep it safe and prevent unauthorized access to the money. The police said that saving the notes could get you in trouble with the law.
The cause of the crash is being looked into
The Bolivian air force plane was carrying money from the Central Bank. Pictures on social media showed people running to pick up the cash that was spread at the crash site while police in riot gear tried to break them up.
Later, though, David Espinoza, the president of the Central Bank, said that the bills were not legal tender because they were about to be used but did not yet have serial numbers. He said that the bills were being taken to La Paz, but he didn’t say how many bills were being taken.
For now, all planes to and from the port have been briefly stopped by the government.
Due to its high elevation, El Alto is often cited by aviation experts as a location where aircraft must be handled gently and carefully. But officials haven’t yet said for sure whether the tragedy was caused by altitude or the weather.
Authorities at the airport are investigating the matter by reviewing flight data and aircraft records. Military leaders have promised to work with civil aviation authorities to ensure the review is open and honest.
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