The plane touched down at El Alto at 18:15 local time on Friday, 27 February 2026, and did not stop where it should have. A Bolivian Air Force C-130 Hercules coming in from Santa Cruz skidded off the runway and hit vehicles on the road next to the airport. At least 20 people were killed, authorities said.
The aircraft was hauling newly printed banknotes for the Central Bank of Bolivia. The defence ministry confirmed it, and the air force commander said eight people were aboard.
Weather was bad. A woman whose car was hit by wreckage told AFP that “a heavy hailstorm” was falling and “there was lightning” when the plane went down. Another man told Reuters his sister had been in a car when the aircraft’s tire landed on it. The tire struck her head, and the family rushed her to hospital.
The money on the road
Banknotes spread across the scene, and crowds came for them. Police fired tear gas to move people back, and video showed some in the crowd throwing rocks. The government-run Bolivian News Agency reported that at least a dozen people were arrested for stealing banknotes.
Defence Minister Marcelo Salinas had a blunt message for them. “This money has no legal value since it has not been issued by the Central Bank and does not have a serial number,” he said, adding that trying to use it is a crime. He also asked those vandalising the area “to respect the mourning and grief we are experiencing.”
The National Association of Journalists of Bolivia said thieves chasing the cash attacked reporters “with unusual violence.” A mobile TV unit was “directly targeted,” it said, and some journalists were hit with stones and seriously hurt.
Casualties and the airport
Firefighters first reported a toll of at least 15. Bolivia’s health ministry later said 31 people were injured and put out an urgent appeal for blood donations. El Alto International Airport closed temporarily.
The cause had not been established. An investigation was under way.
Sources
- 2026 Bolivian Air Force Lockheed C-130 crash – Wikipedia
- At least 20 killed after military plane carrying banknotes crashes in Bolivia
- Bolivian military plane carrying banknotes crashes near capital, killing 20
- 2026 Bolivian Air Force Lockheed C-130 crash
Sources
- 2026 Bolivian Air Force Lockheed C-130 crash – Wikipedia
- At least 20 killed after military plane carrying banknotes crashes in …
