At least 15 people were killed and at least 30 more were injured on Friday evening after an Air Force Hercules aircraft carrying new banknotes crashed in Bolivia.
The cargo plane crash landed on a busy avenue during bad weather in the city of El Alto, near Bolivia’s capital La Paz.
The military aircraft had departed from the city of Santa Cruz and crashed after landing and skidding off the runway onto a neighboring avenue.
Dozens of vehicles on the highway at the time were damaged by the aircraft.
The plane was transporting banknotes from the Central Bank to other cities and a large number of bills scattered on the ground at the crash site.
Chaotic scenes showed people flocking to the site, appearing to pick up money that lay strewn on the ground.
Local authorities on the scene were warding off people using water hoses and tear gas.
Debris from the aircraft, destroyed cars, and bodies littered the road. According to Fire Chief Pavel Tovar, at least 15 vehicles were involved. Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames engulfing the aircraft.
Bolivia’s central bank is set to address reporters later on Friday evening.
The plane crash landed on a busy avenue during bad weather in the city of El Alto, near Bolivia’s capital La Paz
Police stand near a destroyed car that was struck by a plane in El Alto, Bolivia
Chaotic scenes showed people flocking to the crash site, appearing to pick up money that lay strewn on the ground following the accident
Local authorities on the scene were warding off people using water hoses and tear gas
The El Alto International Airport was temporarily closed following the crash, national airline Boliviana de Aviacion said in a statement, adding the aircraft involved in the accident did not belong to its fleet.
Video broadcast on local media showed the aircraft was severely damaged, as were a number of vehicles along the avenue where the crash took place.
This is a breaking news story.
