At least 20 people died when a Bolivian military cargo plane carrying banknotes crashed while landing near the capital city La Paz, police said Friday, as crowds attempted to loot the site.
According to local reports, the Bolivian Air Force aircraft, which crashed on Saturday, was transporting money.
The C-130 Hercules transport plane — manufactured by Lockheed Martin — veered off the runway at the El Alto airport and crashed into several vehicles.
About a dozen vehicles on a highway were also damaged in the incident.
At least 20 dead
Colonel Rene Tambo, head of the police homicide division in El Alto, was quoted by AFP as saying late Friday that "there are about 20, maybe a few more," casualties.
Colonel Pavel Tovar of the National Fire Department gave an earlier toll of "between 15 and 16 people" dead in the disaster.
"We are recovering the bodies of these people who have sadly suffered in the accident," he said.
Bolivia's health ministry reported that at least 28 people were injured.
Locals grab scattered banknotes
Several videos showed local residents picking up the bills while soldiers and firefighters attempted to keep them away from the accident area.
"Crashed military plane in El Alto was packed with CASH. Locals rushed to GRAB scattered banknotes as troops tried to secure the wreckage," RT News reported while sharing a purported video of the incident.
What we know about the Bolivia plane crash: Highlights
1. The aircraft skidded off the runway shortly after takeoff, striking vehicles in the city of El Alto, which is adjacent to La Paz, before coming to rest in a field, according to images circulating on social media.
2. Debris from the aircraft, destroyed cars, and bodies littered the road. According to Tovar, at least 15 vehicles were involved. Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames engulfing the aircraft.
3. AT least 15 people died in the crash, accordignt to reports. Fire Chief Pavel Tovar did not clarify if the dead were in the plane or in the cars on the highway near the airport in La Paz. He said there were people injured.
4. The plane, a Hercules aircraft belonging to the Bolivian air force, was transporting new banknotes from the Central Bank to other cities and a large number of bills scattered on the ground at the crash site.
5. Images circulating on social media showed people rushing to collect the bills while police in riot gear tried to disperse them
6. Authorities temporarily suspended all flights to and from the terminal.
