A Bolivian Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane carrying freshly printed banknotes veered off the runway and ploughed into a busy highway in El Alto on Friday night, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 30 others in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters in recent memory. The tragedy was compounded by chaotic scenes of bystanders rushing to grab scattered cash from the wreckage, hampering rescue operations.
The Crash
The C-130 Hercules aircraft departed from Santa Cruz carrying newly printed banknotes destined for Bolivia’s central bank. At approximately 18:20 local time (22:20 GMT) on Friday, February 27, the plane was on approach to El Alto International Airport when it skidded off the runway and slammed into Costanera Avenue — a high-traffic urban road — destroying at least 15 vehicles. Bolivia’s Defence Minister Marcelo Salinas confirmed the plane “landed and veered off the runway” before ending up in a nearby field. Witnesses reported a heavy hailstorm at the time of the crash, pointing to severe weather as a likely contributing factor.
Casualties and Rescue Efforts
At least 20 people were killed and more than 30 injured, with some victims reported to be in critical condition. It remains unclear how many of the dead were aboard the aircraft and how many were motorists or pedestrians on the street. The Bolivian Air Force reported that two of the six crew members on board had not been located as of late Friday night. Emergency responders, more than 500 soldiers, and 100 police officers were deployed to the scene.
Cash Chaos Hampers Rescue
Social media footage widely shared after the crash showed hundreds of civilians swarming the wreckage to collect bundles of banknotes scattered across the road. According to a local fire chief, the crowds were actively hindering rescue efforts. Authorities deployed water hoses and tear gas in an effort to disperse the mob and secure the crash site. El Alto International Airport was temporarily closed following the incident, though flights later resumed.
Context & Background
El Alto is one of Bolivia’s most populous cities, situated at an altitude of over 4,000 metres adjacent to the administrative capital La Paz. The city’s high elevation and frequent weather volatility — including sudden hailstorms — create notoriously challenging conditions for aircraft operations. Bolivia has faced ongoing economic pressures, including a foreign currency shortage, which gives added significance to the shipment of freshly printed banknotes being transported by the military. National airline Boliviana de Aviación clarified that the crashed aircraft was not part of its commercial fleet.
This disaster highlights the acute risks of military cargo operations over densely populated urban areas, especially at high-altitude airports prone to abrupt weather changes. The scenes of civilians looting scattered cash while rescue workers struggled to reach survivors raise serious questions about crowd-control preparedness in emergency scenarios. Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash, but the combination of bad weather, a high-risk landing environment, and a heavily loaded aircraft will likely be central to the inquiry. The human cost — with the death toll possibly still rising — makes this one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Bolivia’s recent history.
