International News
Military plane carrying new currency crashes near Bolivia’s capital; at least 22 killed
A military transport aircraft hauling freshly printed Bolivian banknotes crashed near El Alto, just outside Bolivia’s capital, La Paz, on Friday, February 27, 2026, authorities said. The tragedy left at least 22 people dead and nearly 30 injured.
The plane, which officials said was carrying about 18 tons of currency, went down close to the airport serving La Paz. The impact damaged roughly a dozen vehicles and sent bundles of money scattering across the crash site, according to authorities.
Police commander Mirko Sokol reported that the fatalities included 12 men (one of them a crew member), six women, and four children. Many of the injured were aboard public transport vehicles struck during the crash. Emergency responders transported survivors to medical centers in El Alto, the city that borders La Paz.
Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas identified the aircraft as a Lockheed C-130 Hercules. He said the plane had departed from Santa Cruz de la Sierra with the currency shipment that had recently arrived from abroad. According to Salinas, the plane encountered trouble during landing, overshot the runway, and crashed into a nearby field where it caught fire. Fire crews later extinguished the blaze.
Investigators at the scene on Saturday were collecting remains and examining debris as they work to determine the crash’s cause.
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