“The plane’s tire fell on the car, and my sister was injured because the impact of the tire hit her on the head,” a man told Reuters after a Bolivian air force cargo plane came down in El Alto on Friday. His sister survived. At least 20 people did not.
Aviation officials said the aircraft was arriving at El Alto’s airport from Santa Cruz at 18:15 local time when it reportedly skidded off the runway and struck vehicles nearby. The defence ministry later confirmed the plane was a C-130 Hercules carrying banknotes to the Central Bank of Bolivia. Firefighters first put the toll at 15 or more. Bolivia’s health ministry counted 31 injured and issued an urgent appeal for blood donations.
Air Force commander Sergio Lora said eight crew were aboard, “including cargo personnel and flight crew”. El Alto International Airport was temporarily closed.
Cash on the road
Scattered banknotes drew crowds. Police fired tear gas to break them up, and video showed people fleeing the gas while officers in a line held shields and some in the crowd threw rocks. The government-run Bolivian News Agency said at least a dozen people were arrested for taking notes.
Defence Minister Marcelo Salinas warned that the money was worthless. “This money has no legal value since it has not been issued by the Central Bank and does not have a serial number, and that attempting to use this money is a crime,” he said. He also asked those vandalising the area to stop and “respect the mourning and grief we are experiencing at this difficult time.”
Journalists were hit as well. The National Association of Journalists of Bolivia said people trying to steal the money attacked the press “with unusual violence”. A mobile TV unit was “directly targeted”, it said, and other reporters were stoned and seriously injured.
Cause unknown
Why the plane crashed is not yet clear. Some witnesses described dreadful weather. A woman whose car was struck by wreckage told AFP that “a heavy hailstorm” was falling and “there was lightning” when the aircraft went down. An investigation is under way.
