Cargo Plane Carrying Cash Crashes in Bolivia, 15 Killed

Darwin, 28 February:

A military cargo plane filled with Bolivia’s national currency, the Bolivian boliviano, has crashed near La Paz, the capital of the South American country Bolivia. The aircraft fell onto several vehicles, destroying them and killing at least 15 people. Several others were injured.

The accident occurred Friday evening, according to a report by AFP.

Bolivia’s Defense Minister, Marcelo Salinas, said in a statement that a Hercules C-130 cargo aircraft belonging to the Bolivian Army was carrying newly printed banknotes and heading toward El Alto airport, adjacent to the capital La Paz. However, while attempting to land near the airport, the aircraft veered off the runway and crashed onto a nearby highway. The plane caught fire after impact. Fire service units arrived shortly afterward, began operations, and were able to bring the fire under control.

Salinas did not specify the number of casualties in his statement. Pavel Tovar, chief of the airport fire service, told reporters that 15 bodies had been recovered from the crash site. However, he could not confirm how many of the deceased were passengers on the aircraft and how many were in the affected vehicles.

Further details came from a statement by Bolivian Air Force spokesperson General Sergio Lora. He said the cargo plane had a total of six crew members on board. Four bodies had been recovered, while two crew members remain missing. The aircraft was traveling from the eastern city of Santa Cruz to El Alto.

At least 15 vehicles were damaged after the aircraft crashed onto the highway. Videos posted on social media showed crowds gathering to collect scattered banknotes from the crash site.

However, Bolivia’s Central Bank President, David Espinoza, stated that the banknotes are currently unusable because they have not yet been assigned serial numbers.

In a statement, Espinoza said, “The banknotes on the aircraft had not yet become fully valid currency. They did not have serial numbers. They were being transported to the central bank for serial numbering.”