At least 15 killed after Bolivian cargo aircraft carrying banknotes crashes close to La Paz | EUROtoday

A cargo aircraft carrying cash crashed on Friday close to Bolivia’s capital, damaging a couple of dozen automobiles on a freeway, scattering payments on the bottom and leaving a minimum of 15 folks lifeless and others injured, an official mentioned.

Defence minister Marcelo Salinas mentioned the Hercules C-130 aircraft was transporting newly printed Bolivian foreign money when it “landed and veered off the runway” at an airport in El Alto, a metropolis adjoining to the capital of La Paz, earlier than ending up in a close-by discipline. Firefighters managed to place out the flames that engulfed the plane.

Fire chief Pavel Tovar mentioned a minimum of 15 folks died, however he didn’t make clear if the lifeless have been within the aircraft or within the vehicles on the freeway.

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Mr Salinas didn’t specify how many individuals had been killed within the crash and mentioned the trigger was being investigated.

Bolivian Air Force General Sergio Lora mentioned two of the aircraft’s six crew members had not been discovered as of late Friday, including that the plane was arriving from the jap metropolis of Santa Cruz, the place it had picked up its cargo.

Images on social media confirmed particles from the plane, destroyed vehicles and our bodies scattered on the street. According to Mr Tovar, a minimum of 15 automobiles have been broken.

The aircraft, belonging to the Bolivian air drive, was transporting banknotes from the Central Bank, and pictures on social media confirmed folks speeding to gather the scattered banknotes on the crash scene, whereas police in riot gear tried to disperse them.

But Central Bank president David Espinoza later mentioned the banknotes had no authorized tender standing since they have been about to enter circulation and nonetheless lacked serial numbers. He mentioned the payments have been being transported to La Paz and didn’t specify what number of payments have been being transported.

Authorities quickly suspended all flights to and from the terminal.