Bolivia: 15 killed in cargo plane crash near La Paz

DW News · Feb 28, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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A military cargo plane carrying banknotes skidded off the runway near Bolivia's capital La Paz on Friday and crashed into a busy avenue. Officials said 15 people had died into the incident and at least 30 others were injured. Fire Chief Pavel Tovar did not clarify if the dead were in the plane or in the cars on the highway in the city of El Alto, which is adjacent to La Paz. The Bolivian government is yet to confirm some details of the crashImage: Juan Karita/AP Photo/picture alliance Crash triggers cash grab Videos on social media and those reported by local media show the C-130 Hercules transport plane veering off the runway, into a busy highway where it damaged about a dozen vehicles, before coming to rest in a field. The aircraft was carrying Bolivian bank notes which scattered when the plane crashed. Other images on social media showed locals rushing to grab the scattered money while the police dressed in riot gear tried to disperse them. Fire fighters managed to extinguish the flames from the crash. The Ministry of Defense has confirmed the crash but is yet to provide further details. Bolivian Air Navigation and Airports authority NAABOL said the plane had departed from the eastern city of Santa Cruz. There had earlier been conflicting reports of whether the plane crashed on landing or during take off. Bolivia's central bank is set to address reporters later on Friday evening. Edited by: Wesley Dockery