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Bolivian Air Force C-130 Overruns El Alto Runway, Hits Road Traffic, Leaving 20 Dead

The aircraft was hauling newly printed Central Bank notes, drawing crowds that hampered rescues.

Overview

  • Bolivia’s Prosecutor General confirmed 20 fatalities, and health officials reported at least 28 people injured after the crash near La Paz.
  • The Hercules transport touched down but failed to stop, ran through the airport perimeter and onto a busy avenue, striking more than a dozen vehicles after arriving from Santa Cruz.
  • El Alto’s airport was shut for roughly ten hours before flights resumed, with airlines warning of delays and reprogramming.
  • Authorities said the scattered bills were not yet monetized; firefighters used water and police later deployed tear gas, with about 600 soldiers and 160 police securing the site and dozens of people detained.
  • A military accident board and forensic teams are investigating, with icy runway conditions after a hailstorm cited in preliminary accounts but no official cause yet.