Fifteen people died, and at least 30 others were injured when a Bolivian Air Force C-130 Hercules cargo plane crashed onto a busy avenue in El Alto late Friday evening, scattering newly printed banknotes across the site. The aircraft had departed from Santa Cruz earlier in the day, transporting currency from the Central Bank to other cities, when it veered off the runway during landing at El Alto International Airport and struck multiple vehicles.

The plane skidded along Costanera Avenue, destroying several cars and damaging about a dozen vehicles before coming to rest in a nearby field, local media footage showed. Firefighters quickly extinguished flames engulfing the wreckage, while the airport suspended operations. Among the chaos, scattered bills drew crowds who rushed to collect them, prompting riot police to deploy tear gas and water hoses to disperse bystanders and allow rescue efforts to proceed.

Colonel Pavel Tovar of the National Fire Department reported between 15 and 16 fatalities, noting bodies littered the road but not specifying if they were crew members or ground victims. Bolivian Air Force General Sergio Lora stated that two of the plane's six crew members remained unaccounted for as of late Friday. The incident occurred amid inclement weather, though no official cause has been determined.

Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas confirmed the Hercules C-130 "landed and veered off the runway," according to earlier reports. The Bolivian Air Navigation and Airports authority (NAABOL) echoed that the flight originated in Santa Cruz and crashed during the approach to La Paz. Social media videos captured the aircraft sliding off the runway, impacting vehicles, and the subsequent disorder as people grabbed cash amid debris and emergency responders.

El Alto International Airport, one of the world's highest at over 13,000 feet, has posed challenges for landings in poor conditions. Bolivia's Central Bank planned to address reporters later Friday evening regarding the lost cargo. An investigation into the crash is underway, with preliminary reports conflicting slightly on whether the incident followed takeoff or landing, but most accounts point to a landing mishap.

The tragedy marks a rare major aviation accident for the Bolivian Air Force in recent years, drawing international attention due to the unusual cargo and post-crash looting attempts.