Daijiworld Media Network - La Paz

La Paz, Feb 28: Tragedy struck near Bolivia’s capital on Friday when a C-130 Hercules military cargo plane carrying banknotes crashed while landing at El Alto International Airport, killing at least 20 people. The aircraft veered off the runway, slammed into vehicles on a nearby avenue, and came to rest in a field, leaving debris, destroyed cars, and casualties scattered across the area.

Colonel Rene Tambo of El Alto police confirmed the toll could be higher, while Colonel Pavel Tovar of the national fire department said authorities were recovering bodies and attending to the injured. Officials did not specify whether the fatalities were aboard the plane or in the vehicles struck.

Chaotic scenes unfolded as bystanders rushed to grab scattered cash, forcing police in riot gear to intervene. Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze, and authorities temporarily suspended flights at the airport. Images from the site show the scale of destruction, with at least 15 vehicles damaged in the crash.