A Lockheed C-130H Hercules military transport plane belonging to the Bolivian Air Force caused an accident after landing at La Paz El Alto International Airport on Friday night (27th).
According to preliminary reports from local authorities, at least 20 people were killed and about 30 injured in the accident.
The aircraft, identified as FAB-81, had taken off from Santa Cruz a few hours earlier and was transporting newly printed banknotes from the Bolivian Central Bank. According to initial reports, the C-130 succeeded in landing, but lost control during deceleration, ran off the runway, crashed into a road near the airport, and hit several vehicles.
Scattered cash and chaos at the scene
Due to the impact of the crash, bundles of bills were thrown out of the aircraft and scattered around the accident site. According to eyewitnesses, chaos broke out as people nearby rushed to pick up banknotes.
Bolivian police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and strengthened security around the scene of the incident. The central bank said that the banknotes in transit had no legal effect because they had not yet been distributed.
Weather conditions and surveys
The accident occurred in bad weather in the El Alto area, which is over 4,000 meters above sea level. El Alto Airport is one of the highest international airports in the world, which poses additional challenges to aircraft operations.
According to military sources, the accident aircraft is a C-130H Hercules model that underwent modernization and improvement in 2024. The Bolivian Air Force has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, including the effects of bad weather and possible technical failures.
Rescue teams worked all night to collect victims and rescue the injured, and the injured were transported to hospitals in the La Paz metropolitan area.
Authorities have not yet released an official list of victims, and the number of dead and injured may change as searches and identification efforts continue.
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Source and image: OSINTdefender, This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
A C-130H Hercules with the Bolivian Air Force crashed earlier this evening on a major roadway outside of El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Bolivia, killing 15 and injuring more than 30. The C-130, which had departed from Santa Cruz several hours before carrying new… pic.twitter.com/uP1VTAaFNb
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 28, 2026
