A catastrophic military aircraft accident near Bolivia’s capital has resulted in a mounting death toll, with authorities confirming 22 fatalities and 29 injuries following Friday’s crash. The Bolivian Air Force Hercules C-130 transport plane was carrying approximately 18 tons of newly printed national currency when it experienced a catastrophic failure during landing procedures at El Alto International Airport.
According to Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas, the aircraft had completed its mission of collecting freshly minted banknotes from Santa Cruz de la Sierra and was executing its final approach when the tragedy unfolded. The massive transport plane overshot the runway, careened into an adjacent field, and collided with multiple civilian vehicles on a nearby roadway before erupting in flames.
The human cost has been devastating—among the confirmed casualties are 12 male victims (including one flight crew member), six women, and four children. Most injuries occurred among passengers utilizing public transportation routes adjacent to the airport perimeter. Emergency response teams worked through Saturday conducting recovery operations while medical facilities in El Alto received an influx of trauma patients.
Social media documentation revealed harrowing scenes of aircraft debris, destroyed automobiles, and human remains scattered across the crash zone. Fire Chief Pavel Tovar reported at least 15 vehicles sustained significant damage from the impact and subsequent fire.
In a remarkable secondary development, the crash precipitated widespread currency scavenging as high-denomination banknotes blanketed the area. Official reports indicate over 600 security personnel—including 500 military troops and 100 police officers—were deployed to secure the perimeter and prevent further looting of the uncirculated currency.
Central Bank President David Espinoza supervised the controlled incineration of recovered cash containers, emphasizing that “these banknotes maintain zero monetary value as they never achieved official circulation status.” While the exact monetary value remains undisclosed, authorities confirmed the currency originated from international printing facilities before arriving in Santa Cruz.