The crash, whose tragic narrative belied surreal visions, involved a cargo airplane of the Bolivian Air Force, which took off near the capital city on Friday and left at least 15 people dead when it struck. Near El Alto International Airport, the crash left a trail on a busy highway, and hundreds of newly printed banknotes soared into the air, with bystanders scrambling to pick up the cash it dropped.
The Crash and Casualties
The plane’s cargo was found with the C-130 Hercules, a Lockheed plane on a domestic mission carrying fresh currency from the Central Bank of Bolivia that ran into a jam moments after its departure from the El Alto airport, which serves the city of La Paz. The plane struck some vehicles before getting into an adjacent field and igniting, Fire Chief Pavel Tovar said as it crashed onto the La Paz-Oruro highway.
The ground was severely damaged. “At least 15 people are confirmed dead,” Tovar said in press. It is not yet known how many of the victims were in the plane and how many are still trapped inside damaged vehicles. The crash affected at least 15 vehicles, many of them shattered. Flames engulfed the aircraft wreckage and emergency services such as firefighters came out to extinguish them. Many people were injured.
Chaos and Scattered Banknotes
And, because of the cargo in the airplane, that tragedy became surreal. The crash ripped the hold of the plane open, releasing thousands of banknotes. Eyewitness accounts and the scene’s spectacle on video on social media clearly captured the cash flying across the highway and nearby fields, the bills blowing past with the wind. However, with new explosion threats and the horrible reality of the crash, there were some hundreds of viewers who seemed drawn by the sight of the torn-off cash. People scrambled to retrieve the banknotes, and police in riot clothing tried to drive the crowd away with water hoses sometimes, with closure and sealing on other occasions.
Ongoing Investigation
The cause: The fatal crash is currently being investigated by authorities. The pilot did not report emergency immediately before the crash occurred, and initial indications are that it may have involved either faulty operation or weather conditions that contributed to the accident. Flights to and from El Alto International Airport were suspended in response to the crash.
The Bolivian Air Force and the Central Bank have at this point yet to make formal statements about exactly how much currency was being carried, or which way it was heading. This tragedy represents one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Bolivian history and the state is left grieving how their people were killed while contending with the peculiar circumstances surrounding the horrific air crash.
