Bolivian Plane Crash: Military aircraft carrying banknotes skids off runway near La Paz, at least 15 dead
Bolivian Plane Crash: The plane, a Hercules aircraft belonging to the Bolivian air force, was transporting new banknotes from the Central Bank to other cities and a large number of bills scattered on the ground at the crash site.
Police stands next to a plane that crashed in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo)
Bolivian Plane Crash: At least 15 people have been killed after a Bolivian air force cargo plane crashed in the western city of El Alto, according to news agency Associated Press (AP).
The incident took place at around 18:20 local time (22:20 GMT) on Friday as the aircraft was arriving at El Alto International Airport from Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s air traffic control authority said.
Reports said the plane skidded off the runway and struck vehicles on a nearby motorway. The airport was temporarily closed following the crash.
Bolivia’s defence ministry later confirmed that the aircraft involved was a C-130 Hercules operated by the air force. It said the plane had been transporting banknotes to the Central Bank of Bolivia but did not provide an official casualty figure. An investigation into the cause of the crash is under way.
People walk on the scene where a plane crashed on a highway in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In a statement, the ministry warned that the banknotes being transported had no purchasing power and said that collecting or attempting to use them would be a criminal offence.
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“The public is asked to stay away and allow the authorities to do their work,” the ministry said.
Local media reported that some people approached the crash site in an attempt to collect the scattered notes.
Footage from the scene showed the aircraft on the ground and several badly damaged vehicles nearby.
A man is escorted by police outside the area where a aircraft that was transporting new banknotes from the Central Bank crashed on a highway, in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
One relative told the Reuters news agency that her sister had been inside a car when the plane came down.
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“The plane’s tyre fell on the car, and my sister was injured because the impact hit her on the head, so we rushed her to the hospital,” she said.
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Police stands next to a plane that crashed in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo) 
