At least twenty people have died and dozens injured after a plane crashed in Bolivia, authorities in the country say. The Bolivian air force cargo plane was carrying money when it crashed on Friday, causing banknotes to scatter across the ground.
The Hercules C-130 was transporting newly-printed Bolivian currency to the country’s central bank when it “landed and veered off the runway” at an airport in El Alto, near the capital of La Paz, Defence Minister Marcelo Salinas said. The plane came to a stop in a nearby field. It reportedly damaged about a dozen vehicles on a nearby road after skidding off the runway.
Firefighters managed to put out the flames that engulfed the aircraft.
The head of the fire service earlier said at least 15 people had been killed, without clarifying whether the dead were in the plane or in the cars on the nearby highway.
Eight people were on board the plane, according to the air force commander.
Images on social media showed debris from the aircraft, destroyed cars and bodies scattered on the road.
Images also shared online allegedly showed people rushing to collect the banknotes scattered at the crash site, while police in riot gear tried to disperse them.
Fire chief Pavel Tovar said hundreds of people trying to collect the spilled money were hindering rescue efforts.
More than 500 soldiers and 100 police officers took control of the area to disperse the crowds, according to official reports.
At least a dozen people were arrested for stealing banknotes, the government-run Bolivian News Agency reported.
Mr Salinas said: “I want to make it clear to those who are trying to take money from the plane involved in this tragedy that 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.
“We also ask all those who are engaging in acts of vandalism in this area to refrain from doing so and to respect the mourning and grief we are experiencing at this difficult time.”
Police and military personnel burned the cash boxes in the presence of Central Bank President David Espinoza who said the notes “have no legal value because they never entered circulation”.
Mr Espinoza did not specify how much money was being transported but confirmed the banknotes had arrived in Santa Cruz from abroad.
The plane, which had taken off from the city of Santa Cruz, crashed at around 18:15 local time on Friday evening.
According to the BBC, Bolivia’s health ministry said 31 people were injured in the incident. It also made an urgent appeal for blood donations.
The El Alto International Airport was temporarily closed following the crash.
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